Experts call for oversight of police conduct during protests; BIRN: €2,500 reward could be perceived as political approval

Security experts warn that the €2,500 reward for frontline officers during protests risks being perceived as political approval of their conduct, while they call for investigations and oversight of the disproportionate use of force.

In a hall packed with State Police officers on October 19, Prime Minister Edi Rama divided the protests into two fronts and promised a €2,500 reward for every frontline police officer.

“For all the resistance, all the sacrifice, all the courage and, above all, the dignity with which you are standing up not only to these people… we will immediately make €2,500 available to every officer on this front, because you are not only under stress, but also need to spend money at this time and cover extra expenses,” Rama said.

That same day, the Council of Ministers opened a fund of 759 million lek for rewards to 2,821 police officers, who for two weeks had been confronting student protests with tear gas, water cannons, batons and rubber bullets.

Protests in recent weeks escalated into clashes and damage to public and private property after the demands raised in four months of peaceful protests fell on deaf ears.

Despite successive reforms aimed at increasing public trust, Albania’s State Police is once again suffering from the perception that it is a politicized institution, particularly at senior levels.

The conduct of police officers during anti-government protests in recent weeks has raised questions about even more extreme politicization.

Although a reward for extended working hours is not automatically illegal, security expert Redion Qirjazi says there is a risk that officers will interpret it “as personal gratitude from those in power.”

“How can an employee distinguish whether they are being rewarded for service to the state and not to the government?” asks Qirjazi, director of the Mary Ward Loreto foundation.

Romario Shehu, a researcher at the Institute for Democracy and Mediation, is also concerned about the message conveyed by the government’s decision in the context of the protests.

“When the government gives officers financial rewards after mass protests against it, in a context where there are reasonable claims of excessive use of force, particularly against minors, there is a risk that the decision will be perceived as political approval of police actions,” Shehu said.

Accountability in the shadows

Under Albanian law, the State Police is a depoliticized state administration institution, but its relationship with those in power has historically been complicated. Studies conducted by the Institute for Democracy and Mediation have raised concerns for years about political influence over the police.

According to a survey conducted several years ago, around 50% of police officers agreed with the statement that political leaders use the State Police for political and corrupt purposes.

During protests in recent weeks, the actions of the State Police have frequently been questioned over the disproportionate force used against young people and the use of tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters. Meanwhile, dozens of arrests have been ruled unlawful by the courts.

Civil society experts say political support and rewards must not overshadow accountability for actions taken during protests.

According to Romario Shehu of IDM, although managing protests presents major operational challenges, this does not exempt the police from their obligation to respect the law, proportionality and human rights.

“Unlawful police actions must be investigated and addressed through the appropriate mechanisms, and made transparent to the public,” Shehu says.

Qirjazi also stresses the need to investigate police actions during the student protests.

“Footage, operational orders and use-of-force reports must be preserved, those responsible identified, and the orders given must also be investigated,” Qirjazi says.

“Compensation for work performed and assessment of the lawfulness of conduct are separate matters. A reward must not grant immunity; a complaint must not be equated with guilt,” he added.

More oversight

After violent clashes on October 21, the Ombudsman found overcrowding in the security block, where protesters were sleeping on the floor, minors were being held in rooms with adults, and complaints had been made about violence and the denial of rights.

According to the monitoring, complaints of police violence during the protests had not been documented, while instances of police officers or their vehicles being unidentified had been recorded.

According to expert Romario Shehu, such violations call not only for investigations but also for more effective parliamentary and institutional oversight.

“The Committee on Internal Affairs and Defense should request an explanation from the Director General of the State Police about the management of the current protests and the measures taken to review the alleged violations,” Shehu told BIRN.

Meanwhile, Qirjazi says the financial decision and its implementation should be subject to institutional scrutiny. In his view, the State Police should rely on standard criteria, accurate documentation for each recipient and reporting based on specific data, while respecting privacy and operational needs.

He also suggests that the decision and its implementation be subject to audits by the relevant institutions, including Parliament, the Ombudsman and the Supreme State Audit, to ensure democratic oversight and political impartiality. /BIRN