Director of the Center for Local Self-Government (CLS) Nikola Jovanovic stated that about the Proposal public-private security partnership there was no debate in Belgrade and that, according to the Law on the Capital, Belgrade has no authority related to public security.
"Security in Belgrade is an important topic... If we want to discuss a partnership with a company, we must first of all change the Law on the Capital City and return to Belgrade the authority over public security and the suppression of crime and corruption," Jovanović told Nova S television.
He pointed out that the proposal that will be presented to councilors on Friday predicts that the public-private partnership in the field of security in Belgrade will cost 696 million euros in the next ten years.
"In some European cities, it works. And indeed, in many cities there are public-private partnerships with private companies, but they are mostly information companies, where video surveillance is made, where the situation in the city, on public areas, in schools is monitored, and then either the city police or the state police are alerted," said Jovanović.
He pointed out that even as a city councilor he demanded that the city assembly regularly discuss security in the capital, that a joint group be formed with the MUP and that the minister and the police director regularly report to the city assembly and councilors.
City police
"As a key measure, I proposed the formation of a city police force modeled on the Metropolitan Police that exists in London," he said.
Jovanović pointed out that it is necessary to open a broad public debate on whether the city needs a city police or a partnership with a private company.
"Will there be an international tender for that private partner or will the worst case scenario happen, which is that the city will make a partnership with a company from Batina," asked Jovanović.
He expressed his concern that it is possible for a private partner to patrol the streets of Belgrade without a legal basis.
"According to our knowledge, it could be the T&M Group company, which participated very often in harassing citizens and in securing an illegal tent settlement in the city center," said Jovanović and added that it is the company that CLS deals with in its White Book of corruption in Belgrade.
"We don't know who that company answers to. We don't know who issues orders to them, and we don't know what the state police are for. And we see that the municipal police are essentially, unfortunately, not doing anything in Belgrade at the moment," concluded Jovanović.
Source: Beta
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