Remarks by Ambassador John L. Withers II at the Balkan Police Leadership Training Conference (July 29, 2008)

Welcome to the very first regional Balkan Police Leadership Training Conference sponsored by our ICITAP Albania Program.

It is inspiring to see high ranking police officials from the countries of Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo coming together to focus on the challenges your leadership faces in the delivery of police training.  I would like to express my particular appreciation to Ambassador Bosch of the OSCE, Minister of Interior Nishani, General Director Prençi for their support and assistance in co-sponsoring this conference.

Having reviewed your agenda, I find it to be quite ambitious and impressive.  You have with you today the upper echelon of law enforcement training leadership from the United States, Europe and your own country.  You will have the opportunity to network with and to learn from each other something you should take full advantage of.

I had the real privilege of visiting with your keynote speaker FLETC Director Connie Patrick and ICITAP Director Carr Trevilian yesterday.  It is a real honor to have people of such distinction with us here in Tirana today.  Their dedication to law enforcement training is inspiring as is their commitment to enhance their profession internationally as evidenced by their participation in this conference.

The key to having a successful organization in the profession of law enforcement lies in the human resources, your officers and staff.  They must be trained and educated to perform the essential functions of their jobs and to carry out their duties with pride, initiative, confidence and trust.

In both, post-conflict environments and developing democracies, changing the role of the police from that of a “police force” to that of a “police service” is often challenging.  A police force with a history of being politically controlled and feared by the public, must give way to an autonomous police service that holds public trust.  The independence of the police from political manipulation is crucial to building this public trust, and the peace and security of a country.

The training and education of the members of the police service are vital to navigate through the significant changes that are necessary in establishing a professional police service in an emerging democracy.  This type of change is threatening to some but welcomed by those who love democracy and look forward toward inclusion in Euro-Atlantic institutions.

I applaud your efforts and commitment to improving both your profession and the lives of you countrymen.

Thank you for your invitation today.

It is important that we have people from all of the different countries that we look upon this battle not as a country to country battle, but as a regional battle in training and developing our resources in this part of the Balkans.

I wish you the best of success in this first ever Balkans Police Training Leadership Conference.