On May 29, 2025, at the Center for Civil Energy (CEC), NGO Aktiv organized a discussion titled “Security Challenges and Trust: Police-Community Relations in Northern Kosovo”. Citizens, representatives from local institutions, media, political parties, and international organizations participated in the conversation. During the open discussion, key challenges and necessary changes were highlighted to improve trust and security in northern Kosovo.
The discussion emphasized the urgent need to strengthen mutual trust between the police and citizens, as well as to establish more effective mechanisms for reporting problems. Representatives from the Serbian community raised the serious issue of verbal sexual harassment and expressed concern about the disregard for the law, which creates barriers between citizens and institutions.
Several organizations from the civil sector pointed out that due to the lack of trust in the police, cases are often not prosecuted, making it difficult for citizens to report problems and creating a sense of insecurity.
Veton Elshani, Deputy Commander of the Kosovo Police for the Northern Region, highlighted that the police have taken concrete measures to improve citizens’ security, including increased patrols in Northern Mitrovica and placing Serbian-speaking officers at key points in the city. He also announced that an operational plan for preventing sexual harassment has been launched, with positive results recorded, including the seizure of narcotics and the prosecution of offenders.
“We have created an operational plan for Northern Mitrovica and now have additional police officers, both during the night and additional patrols. We are on the path to improve the situation, and if we cannot prevent people, at least we are there when something happens, because we are now everywhere,” said Elshani.
Aleksandar Arsenijević, President of Serbian Democracy, emphasized that there is concern among citizens that the police do not take violence and harassment cases seriously, and that there is often unfair treatment of those who protest or oppose such behavior.
“This feeling is present among citizens and creates a significant distrust in Kosovo Police. Citizens report cases of domestic violence and fights, but when it comes to sexual harassment, women are often not taken seriously. It is the treatment of the local population that undermines trust in institutions,” said Arsenijević.
Erden Atić, the Mayor of Northern Mitrovica, stated that during his mandate, he has worked to improve the quality of life for citizens in the region and agreed that it is necessary to responsibly address citizens’ dissatisfaction through a reporting system.
Representatives of non-governmental organizations emphasized that they will continue to pressure institutions to do their job. “We represent the views of citizens so that we can convey them to those who need to do their job,” said civil society representatives.
The participants in the discussion agreed that security challenges and mistrust in the police are significant problems but also agreed that such open discussions are important and could be a step toward resolving them.
It was emphasized that cooperation between institutions, civil society, and citizens is crucial to solving existing problems, particularly with regard to trust in institutions and mechanisms for protecting citizens.
