A series of new appointments and assignments to key positions in the Kosovo Police were reported earlier this week. The changes have affected senior leadership, departments and divisions, shifting the responsibilities of several police officials.
The Kosovo Police said that staff appointments and assignments are made in accordance with administrative instructions, legal procedures and operational needs. According to the institution, assignments to various positions are part of the ongoing work of a dynamic organization and are intended to fill positions within its organizational structure and reorganize personnel.
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Taibe Canolli-Brajshori has been appointed acting deputy director general of the Kosovo Police, while Afërdita Mikullovci has been named director of the Road Traffic Division. Agron Rukiqi has taken over as head of the Human Resources Department, while Fehmi Xhata has assumed leadership of the Investigations Department.
The changes also include the appointments of Arben Paçarizi as director of the Intelligence and Analysis Department, Veton Elshani as director of the Border Department and Kamer Jonuzi as director of the Support Services Department. Agron Nezaj has been assigned to the Kosovo Police Office for Project Development and Coordination, within the General Police Directorate.
Security experts, asked about the impact of these changes on the institution’s work, said they should increase efficiency, strengthen professional capabilities and improve public safety. They called for leaders to be selected on the basis of merit, integrity and professionalism, and for reforms to deliver results on the ground rather than be limited to administrative changes.
Security expert Arben Dashevci told “Bota sot” that reorganizing the leadership is part of the Kosovo Police’s ongoing operations and development. He noted that the institution has made numerous leadership changes in the past and described this as normal practice for an organization that is continually reorganizing.
According to Dashevci, appointments must follow administrative instructions, the law and operational needs, both to fill positions and assign personnel and to improve efficiency, success and progress in areas where shortcomings have been identified. Above all, he said, officials should be selected solely on the basis of merit, integrity and professionalism.
Dashevci believes the changes could improve police work, particularly the coordination and management of operations. Citing killings and domestic violence among the incidents of recent years, he stressed the need for stronger professional capabilities. Such changes are sometimes necessary, he said: citizens expect efficiency, while better operational leadership could help the institution respond to security challenges.
Security expert Bedri Elezi offered another perspective on the depth of reform. Speaking to “Bota sot,” he said police reform cannot be equated with replacing people in leadership positions; it must also change how the institution operates and is managed.
According to Elezi, appointments, dismissals and personnel changes should be part of a reform process that improves institutional performance, develops professional capabilities and brings tangible improvements to public safety. He stressed that reform should not merely be a response to problems: security institutions must pursue it continuously, before failures, organizational weaknesses or operational crises emerge. This requires periodic performance assessments, the identification of shortcomings and adaptation to new threats, he said.
Elezi warned that replacing leaders does not, in itself, produce reform. Without measurable objectives, managerial accountability, assessments of results and a change in operational approach, the changes risk remaining purely administrative and having no meaningful impact on public safety.
He also called for the leadership reorganization to be accompanied by updates and restructuring of police programs, operational priorities and strategic objectives. He said the Kosovo Police must align these processes with current legislation, the Kosovo Security Strategy and the relevant strategic and sectoral documents.
Discussing the risks facing institutions, Elezi listed organized crime, human trafficking, violent extremism, hybrid threats, cybercrime, risks to critical infrastructure and border security challenges, alongside traditional crime. As these threats evolve, he said, the police need specialized capabilities, police intelligence, better interinstitutional coordination and a rapid operational response.
According to Elezi, leadership changes must preserve continuity in the institution’s work rather than disrupt professional processes. He called for personnel assignments to be based on meritocracy, experience, integrity, professionalism and proven results, while protecting the police’s professional independence from improper influence.
In conclusion, Elezi said the success of reform is measured not by the number of appointments or dismissals, but by what changes on the ground: citizens’ safety, crime prevention, the efficiency of investigations, public trust and the police’s ability to respond promptly and professionally to any threat. He stressed that institutional development must be continuous and preventive, taking place before problems become apparent. Genuine reform, he said, changes how the institution operates, manages, prevents crime and ensures public safety, not simply the people who hold positions.
