The new school year begins on September 14 for all nine-year and secondary schools across the country. The Director General of the State Police, Skënder Hita, outlined at a press conference all the measures planned by the police to ensure the smooth running of the educational process and the personal safety of students.

Hita said it would be the direct and priority responsibility of police station chiefs across the country to ensure school safety, taking into account the organization of police services and the strengthening of measures when necessary.

The police chief said he had paid particular attention to cracking down forcefully on the sale of narcotics in schools and the surrounding areas.

STATEMENT

Thank you for being here on this day off, but the subject on which I wish to inform citizens concerns the new approach and measures taken by the State Police on the occasion of the start of the new school year—a very important process for society as a whole, but also an increased responsibility for the State Police. Protecting life and health and creating the safest possible environment for the peaceful development of the educational process in every corner of Albania is a primary duty of the State Police.

Following an analysis of the problems encountered in previous years, as well as consultations and coordination with the Ministry of Education, the State Police has drawn up a detailed plan of measures, with specific tasks for all the structures that will be involved in guaranteeing student safety. This plan is not limited to ensuring students’ physical safety; our measures also include food safety, cybersecurity and road safety.

During the meetings I have recently held with the local State Police structures, I assigned everyone direct and clear tasks to take concrete measures to guarantee the security perimeter and the areas beyond it, with the aim of ensuring the smooth running of the educational process. Police station chiefs will be in charge of all services involved in school safety and will have direct responsibility for organizing, coordinating and supervising services in the field. I have requested that these measures not remain merely on paper, but be monitored and implemented on the ground. The responsibility is concrete and will be clear for every local police official.

In this context, I instructed specialists from the Narcotics and Operational sectors in all 12 local police directorates to organize high-intensity checks both inside and outside the security perimeter, focusing on identifying and stopping, with the full force of the law, any criminal element attempting to approach educational institutions, involve students in criminal activities—particularly narcotics-related activities—or sell them other illegal items that pose consequences for their lives and health. We have also paid particular attention to road safety near schools, to protect children as they travel to and from school at the beginning and end of the school day, as well as during the long break.

Awareness-raising also plays an important role in the measures undertaken by the State Police to guarantee safety and the smooth running of the new school year. In this regard, Community Policing, Domestic Violence, Cybercrime and Traffic Police structures will be present in schools, holding awareness sessions on the risks of bullying, psychological violence in schools and in the digital space, road safety, and reducing the use of drugs, tobacco and alcohol. In addition, as part of the school safety package, intensive cooperation is under way with the National Food Authority to guarantee the safety of food products at all businesses operating near schools.

We will carry out periodic inspections at these businesses to verify not only the formal compliance of their economic activity, but also the composition and expiration dates of the products consumed by students, as well as the hygienic and sanitary conditions in which these products are stored and sold. School security officers, teachers and psychologists also play an important role in this endeavor. They are our direct bridge to everyday life at school and an important point of contact for identifying problems in a timely manner.

For this reason, we are strengthening cooperation with security officers to coordinate action in every case, and with school administrators to identify and address every concern or problem at its earliest stage. The Parent Boards and Student Governments are also important partners of the State Police. Children’s voices and parents’ concerns will be heard with respect and responsibility and will receive timely responses. Prevention is always better than reacting after an incident. In this regard as well, police station chiefs will be in charge of services and responsible for the territory they cover.

Dear citizens!

This year, school safety is also gaining another important dimension: technology. As part of the Smart City project, intelligent cameras have been installed in 20 schools, increasing our capacity to monitor and prevent situations that could compromise safety. Technology enables us to identify problems more quickly, respond more efficiently and stay closer to citizens, wherever our presence and intervention are required. This is an important step toward a modern public safety model, in which the work of police officers in the field is increasingly supported by technology and intelligent systems.

And let me make this clear: technology does not replace police officers. It makes their work in the field faster, more efficient and more accurate.

Dear students,

Do not remain silent in the face of danger. If you see or experience a case of violence, drug distribution, threats, bullying, the involvement of peers in criminal activities or any other situation that concerns you, notify your teacher, parent, security officer and the State Police.

Do not hesitate to speak with your parents, psychologists, social workers, teachers and police officers. Timely intervention to address any problem or concern can prevent a more serious incident.

The State Police and all links in the security chain will be there for you and will respond with determination and professionalism, so that you feel calm and safe on your path to knowledge.

This is our commitment: safe schools for the future of our country!

Thank you, and I am open to questions.

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The mother of 20-year-old Joan Zuko, Ornela Zuko, has announced the date and time of the final farewell ceremony for her son, who was killed in Korçë on the afternoon of August 8 by his friend, Kristjan Sterjo.

In a moving message, she said the family had decided that the final farewell for Joan would be held on August 11 at 12:00.

The 20-year-old’s mother also dedicated several heartfelt words to her son, describing him as her greatest love and the most precious part of her heart.

“With a shattered heart and the greatest pain a mother’s soul can bear, and unable to respond to all of you, we announce that on August 11 at 12:00, we will bid a final farewell to my little boy, the light of his mother’s eyes.

My son, you will forever remain my breath, my greatest love and the most precious part of my heart. Mommy will never forget you and will carry you in her soul until her final breath. Rest in peace, Mommy’s angel,” Ornela Zuko wrote.

HOW THE EVENTS UNFOLDED

Joan Zuko, 20, was shot dead in Korçë following a dispute with Kristjan Sterjo, who was arrested after several hours of searches by police and RENEA forces.

Following his arrest, Kristjan Sterjo gave his testimony to the investigative team regarding the motive behind the serious incident. The young man revealed that the dispute between them was linked to several previous episodes, while one of the factors suspected of having led to the escalation was the harassment of the alleged perpetrator’s girlfriend.

In addition to this dispute, however, investigators are also considering previous clashes between the two young men, who are suspected of having argued over claims about who was the “toughest” in the neighborhood.

According to information from the investigation so far, the alleged perpetrator and the victim had a verbal altercation several days before the incident. Both sides are suspected of having clashed and harassed one another, causing tensions between them to escalate.

THE PLACE WHERE THE 20-YEAR-OLD WAS KILLED

The situation then took another turn. According to the perpetrator’s testimony, on the day of the incident he took the gun and went after the 20-year-old, shooting him once in the back, a wound that proved fatal for Joan Zuko.

The dispute, which is suspected of having begun over trivial motives, starting with claims over who was considered the neighborhood’s “tough guy,” was later accompanied by harassment, insults and repeated clashes between the two young men.

The confrontation ended tragically with the killing of 20-year-old Joan Zuko, while Kristjan Sterjo fled the scene and was arrested by police forces near his home about six hours later.

Sterjo had been hiding in an area near the city cemetery but left to head toward his home. It was at that moment that police spotted him and immediately moved in to arrest him.

The investigative team is continuing its work to fully establish how the incident unfolded, while the alleged perpetrator’s testimony and the evidence collected are expected to help determine the circumstances and the precise motive that led to the serious crime.

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While Washington speaks of planned talks, Tehran insists there is no meeting at the negotiating level in the coming days.

First through a post on the Truth Social platform and then speaking to reporters at the White House, Donald Trump referred to contacts that, he said, would take place on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar.

“There will be a meeting about this tomorrow in Doha. They will go to Qatar, I think they have already left or are preparing to leave. We will see how it goes,” he said.

The American president described the talks as “perhaps important, perhaps not,” leaving open the possibility of their outcome.

Trump claimed that the United States has made significant progress in efforts to denuclearize Iran.

“I would say it has been almost won militarily,” he said, adding that Washington’s main goal remains that Tehran never acquires nuclear weapons.

In fact, he expressed the view that Iran has already agreed not to acquire nuclear capability.

At the same time, according to two US officials cited by CNN, US special envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to Doha.

It is still not known whether he is traveling with the American president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Meanwhile, a senior US official told CNN that technical talks on implementing the memorandum of understanding are continuing as normal, despite the recent exchange of fire in the area.

For its part, Iran continues to maintain that no negotiating meeting with the United States at any level has been planned in the coming days.

Tehran stresses that its priority remains the implementation of the provisions of the memorandum of understanding and not the opening of negotiations for a final agreement.

The divergence in public positions from Washington and Tehran creates uncertainty regarding the content and nature of the contacts expected to take place in Qatar.

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