OSCE Mission to Skopje trains police in interview skills

SKOPJE, 16 May 2008 - Forty-two high ranking police officers from the Interior Ministry's Internal Affairs division and organized crime, anti-trafficking, homicide, financial crime departments completed today a training course in interview skills, organized by the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje. 

The officers learned techniques for conducting interviews of witnesses, suspects and vulnerable individuals through a series of practical courses that began in mid-April.

"The officers learned and practiced modern interview techniques and models in line with international standards," said Kasim Askoy, a police trainer with the OSCE Mission's Police Development Department.

"Having seen these officers in action during the training course, I am quite confident that they will be successful in obtaining correct and reliable information from their interviewees."

Apostol Stojanovski, the Head of the Skopje Sector for Internal Affairs, said: "This course will surely help the police become more efficient in its daily work to fight crime and apply the standards that will help the country move towards Euro-Atlantic integration."

The OSCE Mission and the Interior Ministry work closely to organize training courses on a range of topics. The most effective participants in this course are being identified and will receive further training for trainers in September.