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Municipal Police changes with the new law, less autonomy for municipalities, more role for the state

2025-12-19 11:41:36Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Municipal Police changes with the new law, less autonomy for municipalities,
Illustrative photo

The Municipal Police in Albania is expected to enter a new phase of operation, with profound structural and institutional changes, if the new draft law in public consultation, "On the Municipal Police", which repeals Law No. 89/2022, is approved.

The comparison between the two acts shows a clear shift from the decentralized local model towards a more centralized and unified model at the national level.

From municipal dependence to central management

The current law, adopted in 2022, defines the Municipal Police as an administrative structure of the municipality, which operates only in its territory and is under the direct responsibility of the mayor. The mayor approves the structure, manages resources and controls its activity, while the Municipal Council approves the budget and number of employees.

The new draft law radically changes this philosophy. The Municipal Police is declared an institution of public administration with a special status, with a two-level organization: central and local. The General Directorate of Municipal Police is created, subordinate to the minister responsible for public order and security, which takes on the role of the highest technical, management and supervisory authority at the national level.

The role of the state and the prefect's entry into coordination

Another important change is related to the role of state institutions. In the current law, the minister has a limited and largely formal role, while the prefect has no defined powers in relation to the Municipal Police.

The new draft law gives the minister an active role in defining policies, objectives and operational standards, as well as the right to issue binding instructions. The prefect of the district is introduced as a coordinating link between the Municipal Police, the State Police and local self-government units, also having the competence to resolve conflicts of competence.

Unified structure and less local autonomy

In the 2022 law, each municipality has broad flexibility to organize the Municipal Police according to local needs. The 2025 draft law reduces this autonomy, providing that the structures, organizational structures and main directions of activity be unified at the national level, under the direction of the General Directorate.

The role of the mayor remains important, but mainly in terms of financing, infrastructure provision, and community consultation, while operational and strategic decision-making moves to higher levels.

Centralized recruitment and structured career

One of the most notable innovations of the draft law is the change in the recruitment model. While today the procedures are carried out by municipalities, in the future they will be managed by the General Directorate through a single national recruitment portal, with selection committees that also include representatives of the ministry.

Also, for the first time, a clear division of employees according to categories and management levels is established, with differentiated educational and work experience criteria, creating a more formal system of career progression.

Same competencies, but with a broader scope

In content, the competencies of the Municipal Police remain almost the same: public order and peace, environmental protection, control of public space, support of social services and monitoring of economic activities. However, the draft law provides that, in special cases and by central order, the Municipal Police can also assist outside the territory of a municipality, in coordination with the State Police.

Essentially, the draft law aims to increase the professionalism, standardization and national coordination of the Municipal Police. But in parallel, it opens a debate on the limitation of local autonomy, a fundamental principle of local self-government. Its adoption would mark a significant change in the way community security is conceived: less fragmented at the municipal level and more integrated into state policies of order and security. /ekofin.al


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