Strpce: A meeting of the Municipal Committee for Security was held; they are seeking increased presence of police and KFOR

The municipality of Strpce held a meeting today of the Municipal Committee for Security in the community regarding the events in the village of Donja Bitinja, where an individual from the municipality of Suva Reka fired a gun. A unanimous conclusion was reached, among other things, calling for increased presence of the Kosovo Police and KFOR.

The conclusion calls on representatives of international missions in Kosovo to do everything possible to ensure a safe environment for all citizens.

The Commander of the Police Station in Strpce, Dragan Stevanovic, reported that after the arrest of the individual who fired the gun, it had been determined that he had been under the influence of alcohol and that a pistol with 33 bullets, for which he did not have a permit, had been seized from him. Representatives from the village of Donja Bitinja also attended the session. Bojan Staletovic emphasized that the incident had disturbed the residents and requested increased police patrols in the village.

"This event has disturbed and frightened the residents and our children who were playing in the immediate vicinity of the incident. Our community is mixed, and we have never had problems or disagreements with our neighbors before. This is an alarming signal that there is a problem that requires attention and reaction. Any form of violence or threat of violence must be condemned. I appeal to the police to increase patrols both in our and in other multi-ethnic villages in our municipality. I would ask for an increased patrol at the entrance to the village, which would be present 24 hours a day, to install video surveillance, as well as speed bumps because vehicles are moving at inappropriate speeds," Staletovic said.

The President of the Municipality of Strpce and the Chairman of the Community Security Committee, Dalibor Jevtic, stated that they fully supported the demands of the residents of the village of Donja Bitinja. He reiterated that the municipality of Strpce was an example of good coexistence and multi-ethnicity, but for the second time, the safety of citizens had been jeopardized by individuals who were not residents of this municipality.

"We fully support all the demands of the residents that have been presented. What is concerning is that within a short period of time, we once again have a situation where an individual who is not a citizen of the municipality of Strpce comes to our municipality and creates a situation in which the lives and safety of the citizens of the municipality of Strpce are endangered. This is condemnable not only verbally but also by calling on all institutions responsible for ensuring security to take action, but above all, those institutions whose actions should prevent similar events in the future should seriously consider all the facts of this event, as well as the previous one when we had the shooting of two boys in the village of Gotovusa. Personally, I believe that when there is no adequate response from institutions, an atmosphere is created in which individuals think that by such actions they can achieve their goals. Peace, security, and normal life are something that all citizens of the Municipality of Strpce must have at all times," Jevtic said.

Jevtic read out the conclusion of the Community Security Committee, which, among other things, calls for increased presence of the Police and KFOR. It also urges representatives of international missions in Kosovo to do everything possible to ensure a safe environment for all citizens.

In the first point, it is stated that the Municipal Committee for Community Safety, regarding the event in Donja Bitinja when individual N.N. fired from a firearm, shares concerns and supports the locals along with all their demands, and notes that only by sheer luck were major consequences avoided.

It is requested that the Kosovo Police increase its presence in the village of Donja Bitinja and that KFOR increase its patrols, taking into account the previous incident that occurred on January 6, when Stefan and Milos Stojanovic were wounded in the village of Gotovusa.

As a preventive measure and to raise public awareness, it is expected that all relevant institutions take necessary steps to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.

Representatives of international missions in Kosovo are called upon to understand the seriousness of the continuous threats to the security and lives of citizens of the Municipality of Strpce and to do everything possible to ensure a safe environment for all citizens.

The fifth point states that the Municipality of Strpce is considered an example of multi-ethnicity and coexistence in Kosovo, and recent incidents indicate that they are the result of individuals who are not residents of the Municipality of Strpce. It is mentioned that the aspiration to live in peace and without problems will not be shaken, but it requires action from all relevant factors to prevent those who seek to jeopardize good relationships with their activities, as stated in the final point of the conclusion.

Members of the Municipal Committee for Community Safety unanimously adopted the conclusion, which will be sent to relevant institutions.