SEESAC Intensifies Support to Western Balkan Authorities to Raise Their Crime Scene Investigation Units’ Capacities

SEESAC has just completed assessing the capacities of the Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) units across the Western Balkans and will create a baseline for further support in their capacity development in terms of advisory support, training, and equipment.

Visits to the six CSI units in the region were finalised with the last two conducted in Pristina and Skopje during January, while the ones in Belgrade, Podgorica, Sarajevo, and Tirana were conducted in November and December last year.

These assessments will result in a report with recommendations as well as an action plan for further preparation of the jurisdictions for ISO 17020 accreditation. By acquiring the accreditation, the units will be recognised as top-quality inspection services globally, will make technical competence of people and processes reliable and recognised. The compliance standard also provides better guidance and control for equipment maintenance and inspection records, which leads to unbiased, properly judged, and impartial inspections results. Finally, the accreditation makes the units cost-effective and increases reliability of the end results of their work.

SEESAC will provide support to authorities in this process though provision of advisory support and relevant equipment though which capacities for crime scene investigations and storing and analysis of physical evidence will be increased across the region.

To review the CSI units’ capacities, the methodology deployed revolved around assessing their facilities, equipment, institutional and administrative capacities, the legislative background, and especially standard operating procedures and other relevant documents as well as the quality manuals.

Furthermore, to address the importance of electronic evidence, an issue which is not adequately addressed in the Western Balkans yet, SEESAC will provide guidance on electronic evidence for first responders through a regional workshop on recovery of electronic evidence for participants from each of the jurisdictions.

SEESAC is supporting the CSI units to strengthen their capacities in the framework of the regional project Support for Enhancing the Fight Against the Illegal Possession, Misuse, and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in the Western Balkans funded by the European Union through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II).