TIRANA, March 31 – Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu attended the presentation of Skënder Hita as the new General Director of the Albanian State Police, alongside Interior Minister Besfort Lamallari.

In her speech, Koçiu praised Hita’s appointment as a sign of meritocracy and transparency within the force. “His selection proves that careers in the State Police are built on merit, transparency, and integrity. Today, the police is a professional, well-paid institution oriented towards modernisation and digitalisation,” she said.

Koçiu stressed that Hita’s main duty is to uphold these standards at every level. She called the police the most important state organisation, requiring integrity and professionalism in every interaction with citizens.

She highlighted the police’s achievements in fighting crime, including high levels of crime detection and financial enforcement through identification and confiscation of criminal assets. Despite progress, she said challenges remain, including strengthening professional and institutional standards to meet EU requirements, modernising technology, and renewing the force with young officers based on merit.

Koçiu also underlined ongoing priorities: community policing, improved safety in schools, streets, and public spaces, and the implementation of projects such as Smart City, digital identity, E-Gate, and intelligent systems as essential elements for a modern police force.

/a.p./