Director Smakiqi visited Wales Police in the United Kingdom

Vushtrri, Dec.16.2017- In support of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), General Director of Kosovo Academy for Public Safety, Ismail Smakiqi has visited Wales Police in the United Kingdom. Besides director Smakiqi, part of the Kosovo delegation were Slavisa Mladenovic language commissioner, Colonel Milorad Corac director of Kosovo Police Training Division, Shpresa Muharremi OSCE Adviser for KAPS, Lieutenant Colonel Agron Rukiqi Director of Division of Administration and Personnel in Kosovo Police, Hysni Shala Head of the Office for Human Rights and Gender Equality in the Kosovo Police, Safete Graicevci Coordinator for Ensuring Compliance from the Commissioner Office for Languages, also Bylmen Ribëri Unit of Special Advisers OSCE Mission in Kosovo were hosted by the senior Wales police officers in England.

The purpose of this study visit was to hear the development of the process of using bilingualism in the Welsh Police.

The Kosovo delegation led by Director Smakiqi estimated that this study visit will serve to the Kosovo institutions for promoting actions aiming the training of law enforcement officers, and in particular the Kosovo Police, to provide services in the official language of the Republic of Kosovo.

The leader of the program for promoting bilingualism at Welsh Police  Meic Raymant, who was  a host to the delegation from Kosovo, presented the complex program of the implementation of bilingualism in Wales, which he is said that he has been developing it intensively  for ten years now. During this official visit, which was held three days in a row by police officers from Wales like Gareth Evans, Mark Owen, Inspector Dyfan Jones, Chief Inspector Richie Green, have presented various topics.

The topics of the presentations have included diverse fields, such as; background and reflection of the role of Uells police, promotion of bilingualism in Wales, language strategy, promotion of bilingualism in Welsh police, setting up a strategy at work, basic police training and English language training at work, development of language skills in Wales and staff language awareness, ensuring the language choice in operational policing and public hearing in their preferred language at the communication center.

Also within this visit, the delegation from Kosovo was hosted by Deputy Chief of Police Zoto Pritchard, who is also a leader of the Welsh language group in Northern Wales as well as Assistant Police Chief Debicki, who is also a leader of the Welsh language group at the police force.

On this occasion, the delegation also visited the Control Room from where security in Northern Wales is managed, as well as the shooting range and training at the St. Asapin

The visit provided by the OSCE, which consistently supports the Kosovo Academy for Public Safety, the Kosovo Police and other law enforcement institutions, aims to increase the quality of services that these institutions offer and that they are in accordance with European and international standards.