OSCE-supported training for the Forensic Centre of Montenegro
The OSCE Mission to Montenegro has supported the Forensic Centre of the Police Directorate in Danilovgrad since its inception in 2008, to receive accreditation as a fully-fledged member of the European Network of Forensic Science Institutions. In 2017, the European Commission upgraded the forensic standard for criminal investigations, which requires re-training the forensic centre to meet the new standard in 2020.
On 26 and 27 December, the Mission facilitated a two-day training at the Forensic Centre in Danilovgrad. Ten forensic experts worked with two scientists from the Standard Cert Company from Belgrade to understand the key changes in the new standard. The training focused on risks, opportunities and clarification of the decision rules, in order to equip the participants with the necessary skills to implement the required changes in the laboratory to comply with the updated standard.
Utilizing these new standards is a prerequisite for maintaining the Center’s accreditation, which in turn ensures that evidence from the centre is admissible in any court in Europe and is important in combating regional and international crime.
Deputy Head of Mission and Programme Co-ordinator Siv-Katrine Leirtroe, said: “The Mission recognizes that forensic investigations play an increasingly larger role in the criminal justice system and will continue to promote the importance of forensic accreditation and accuracy of forensic evidence for use in regional investigations”. She added that in 2018 and 2019, the Mission donated equipment to the Forensic Centre to help fight against modern security challenges. The Mission plans to donate more equipment in 2020 so the Centre can meet its re-accreditation deadline of November 2020.
Forensic Centre Director Aleksandar Ivanovic said: “Education and training is indispensable for performing forensic analysis, examination and expert evaluation”. For the last ten years, the Forensic Center has worked closely with the Mission to provide training that blended theory and practice. Ivanovic said: “This training represents an advancement in the work of forensic analysis, testing and evaluation towards their precision, accuracy, reproducibility and predictability”.
The Mission remains committed to providing assistance to the Montenegrin authorities in establishing a comprehensive approach to tackling crime in Montenegro and developing national capacities to combat criminal networks and support intelligence-led policing.