North Macedonia: ICITAP-Implemented Police Project Fosters Greater Officer Safety and Accountability

On August 5, ICITAP-North Macedonia completed a two-day Train-the-Trainers session in partnership with the Ministry of Interior’s Traffic Police Department as part of ICITAP’s ongoing project providing the Tetovo Sector for Internal Affairs Traffic Unit with the Body-Worn Camera (BWC) system. Eight senior Tetovo and Gostivar traffic police officers had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the BWC system and to learn about the use and maintenance of the equipment and the applicable standard operating procedures. In late August, the trainers will deliver additional training to 80 traffic police officers in these two cities. ICITAP-North Macedonia Law Enforcement Assistance Attaché Douglass Madden greeted the trainees, wishing them a successful implementation of the BWC project in their traffic units. Over the past four years, the ICITAP-implemented BWC pilot project has promoted non-corrupt behaviors in the Public Security Bureau (PSB) Traffic Police Highway Unit. Not only does the program foster greater professional police conduct, it also has created improved behavior in the citizens, with a notable drop in bribes offered. In Macedonia, ICITAP implements the BWC project with the support of and in coordination with the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).