THE ALBANIAN PUBLIC'S TRUST IN SECURITY: STUMBLING BLOCKS TO EU NEGOTIATIONS The Minister of the Interior The Council of Ministers ▪ Compiles and supervises the implementation of policies on the activity of the State Police. ▪ Defines the strategic objectives of the State Police. ▪ Demands reports from the Director of the State Police on the activity of the police. ▪ Oversees the process of grievances levied against the State Police. ▪ Appoints the Director of the State Police, with the proposal of the MoI. ▪ Defines the functions and duties that are accorded to every rank of the State Police. ▪ Approves of the symbols, flag, and uniform of the State Police. Oversees the implementation of the budget of the Dismisses the Director of the State Police, with the State Police. proposal of the MoI. Proposes the Director of the State Police for Appointment to the CoM. Compiles the rule book of the State Police and defines the equipment to be used by the State Police in their duties. Appoints the Deputy Director of the State Police and Defines the total number of active police personnel. dismisses him/her. Approves the structure of the State Police, with the Defines the organizational structure and functionality proposal of the Director of the State Police. of the Academy of Security. Appoints the Director of the National Bureau of Investigations. Defines the wages, bonuses of the employees of the State Police and the NBI, depending on their rank and occupation. Table 3: Division of Labor for the Executive Control of State Police The most important tool of oversight utilized by the MoI to supervise the work of the State Police is the Albanian Service of Internal Control(SICMI). SICMI is an oversight body that serves to analyze the work of the State Police to find and stop any cases of infringements and criminal acts that could be committed by its members. It can act by its own volition, or based on grievances levied against members of the State Police either by the public or by its employees. SICMI is structurally independent of the police, but it is directly subordinate to the MoI. The general performance of the SICMI in its oversight against corruption and crime within the police structure has been largely positive. A recent noteworthy example is a case involving the Director of the Migration Police in Tirana. In June 2020, the director(along with 5 other police officers and employees of the migration police) was arrested and dismissed from her position, after being investigated by the SICMI. She was suspected of being part of a conspiracy to profit from the illegal trafficking of migrants transiting through Albania into Europe. 16 If we consider a development on the total numbers of active personnel of policemen in the field, we can deduct that the executive is following a strategy of constantly increasing the sheer 16 Article detailing arrest of Director of the Migration Police of Tirana following SICMI investigation:https://shqiptarja.com/lajm/trafiku-arabeve-ndalohet-drejtuesja-e-kufirit-dhe-migracionit-tirane­me-3-zyrtare-te larte?r=kh5 24