A serious paradox is occurring in the State Police, which has rarely been treated with the seriousness it deserves.
The law regulating ranks and promotions flagrantly violates the principle of professional equality, meritocracy and career development in the public service. Specifically, for the position of chief of police station, the current legislation allows officers with different ranks from deputy commissioner to chief commissioner to compete, putting them in the same competition, despite the clear differences that these ranks represent in experience, skills and responsibilities. In other words, rank, which in itself is an indicator of professional preparation and contribution, in this case no longer has any real value.
Quite differently is the case for the position of local police director, where the law allows only officers holding the rank of “director” or “first director” to compete, categorically excluding officers with the rank of “chief commissioner”. This rank, which logically should have been one of the key points for advancement in management, turns into a legally predetermined “end of the road”. This double standard is not a legal slip or an innocent technicality, it is a deliberate product, created in the offices of former interior ministers and former general directors of the Police, to control access to management positions and to limit the advancement of those who do not belong to the preferred circle.
The consequences of this institutionalized discrimination are profound and seriously damage the functioning of the State Police. First of all, we are dealing with the collapse of meritocracy and the blocking of careers for officers who have built up years of experience and credibility in the structure. Officers who reach the rank of “chief commissioner”, often after many years of commitment to complex and highly responsible tasks, find themselves excluded from any real opportunity to advance further. The message sent to them and the entire police force is clear: work is not rewarded, and careers do not depend on ability or dedication, but on positioning in the networks of power.
This naturally leads to the second consequence: deep de-motivation and progressive abandonment of the system by experienced officers. When police officers feel that their professional path is closed, a lack of motivation and commitment is inevitable. Many leave the ranks of the Police, while others are left without the commitment and sense of justice required to function with integrity. This reality leads to a weakening of the structure, a lowering of standards of professionalism and a slow moral collapse within the institution.
Meanwhile, leadership positions are filled with individuals who are not necessarily the most capable, but who simply possess the rank defined as a formal requirement. This situation creates poor decision-making, weakened authority, and incompetence in managing public order at critical levels. We are dealing with a profound deformation of the police career, where rank is no longer a symbol of professional advancement, but a selection tool that serves the interests of a closed caste.
Furthermore, this unfair model fosters the idea of a privileged system that is based not on merit, but on connections, influences and institutional bargaining. Ranks become keys to political appointments and not to fair professional advancement. This damages not only the internal structure of the Police, but also its authority vis-à-vis citizens. When the public perceives that the police do not function on the basis of justice and professionalism, but on clientelistic criteria, then public trust and support for law and order declines.
At the end of the day, a police force that is not meritocratic cannot be effective. It cannot create security or maintain order because it has lost its fundamental legitimacy.
It is therefore imperative that the legal and sub-legal framework governing ranks and promotions be urgently reviewed. Any exclusion based solely on formal rank, and not on experience, competence and proven performance, must be abolished. The police need fair competition, objective assessment and legal equality – otherwise, the decline will deepen.
This is not a call for revenge or for the protection of personal interests. It is a call for justice and for the restoration of professional dignity in one of the most important institutions of the state. Because without a fair and equal police force for all, there cannot be a fair state for citizens.
Pedagog në Akademinë e Sigurisë, me mbi 20 vite përvojë në strukturat e Policisë së Shtetit. Gjatë karrierës së tij, ai ka mbajtur funksione drejtuese në disa prej drejtorive vendore të policisë në qytete të ndryshme të vendit, ku është dalluar për menaxhimin efektiv të rendit publik dhe forcimin e kapaciteteve operacionale të strukturave policore. Përkushtimi i tij ndaj profesionalizmit dhe etikës në shërbim e ka bërë një prej figurave më të respektuara në radhët e Policisë.
Në vazhdën e zhvillimit të tij profesional, Agim Basha ka ndjekur një sërë trajnimesh të specializuara brenda dhe jashtë vendit. Ai është trajnuar nga programe të mbështetura nga ICITAP (Programi Ndërkombëtar i Asistencës për Trajnimin në Hetimet Penale të Departamentit Amerikan të Drejtësisë), PAMECA (Asistenca e Bashkimit Evropian për Reformën në Sektorin e Sigurisë) dhe institucione të tjera ndërkombëtare të fushës së rendit dhe sigurisë. Aktualisht, në rolin e pedagogut, ai kontribuon në formimin profesional të brezave të rinj të oficerëve, duke sjellë në auditor përvojën e tij të gjatë dhe njohuritë e përfituara në nivel ndërkombëtar.
