Kosovo Centre for Public Safety Education and Development

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Kosovo Centre for Public Safety Education and Development (KCPSED) is a training center in Vushtrri, about 25 kilometers north of Pristina. It used to be called the Kosovo Police Service School (KPSS) and trains the Kosovo Police and other public services.

KPSS started in September 1999 with help from the UN Police Mission in Kosovo and was run by the OSCE’s Department of Police Education and Development. The EULEX mission also supported training. The goal was to rebuild civil capabilities and the rule of law after the Kosovo War.

By 2006, the Kosovo Police Service could take over major policing work on its own. Training at the time lasted 40 weeks: 20 weeks in the classroom and 20 weeks in the field. After finishing, officers could work independently. The program stressed human rights and fair policing in a democracy. It also offered courses in supervision and management and provided recertification.

A 4-week Criminal Investigation Course for detectives has been offered since 2001, and there is also a 4-week Traffic Accident Investigation Course. Since August 2001, trainer certification has been available, so the Kosovo Police could have its own qualified trainers.

Although OSCE trains police, the Kosovo Police Service handles applications. Applicants should want to work with people from different ethnic backgrounds and protect human rights. Recruits include women, Serbs, and other ethnic minorities.

The plan was to train 5,700 officers by December 2002. Between October 1999 and October 2004, about 6,953 police officers were trained.

In 2006, KPSS became the Kosovo Center for Public Security, Education and Development, with a broader mission to educate for public security beyond police work. It now covers customs, border police, fire service, and prison service, and acts as an executive agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In March 2011, General Erhard Bühler, the commander of KFOR, visited the center. While the center has made good progress, Western standards of policing are still higher than regional ones. The Kosovo Police Service is now one of Kosovo’s most trusted public institutions.