The government is warning of a new structure within the State Police focused on environmental crimes, at a time when the damage caused by wildfires has been acknowledged as severe. The initiative was made public by Interior Minister Besfort Lamallari, who called for every suspicious fire to be treated not only as an emergency to be extinguished, but also as a matter for criminal investigation.
New police unit for fires and environmental crimes
According to the minister’s statement, a new unit will be established within the State Police with a special focus on environmental crimes. The announcement came during a meeting with local police chiefs in the country’s 12 counties.
Lamallari presented this as part of a more proactive approach to wildfires, suggesting that the institutional response so far has not been sufficient in the face of the scale of the damage.
Wildfire damage acknowledged as “incalculable”
The minister said the damage caused by fires this year alone is “incalculable,” especially to the forest fund. He raised the question of how much time and how many generations will be needed for these areas to recover.
In the official version, the emphasis was placed on the need for suspicious fires to be investigated professionally and not closed once the flames are put out.
Criminal investigation sought for every suspicious fire
Lamallari said that, for the Police, a fire should not be considered a closed matter the moment it is extinguished, but the starting point for investigating the causes, possible perpetrators and criminal elements.
According to him, the investigation should be carried out in cooperation with the fire service, Civil Emergencies, the community, as well as through the use of technology, forensic expertise inside and outside the country, and the Prosecution.
Hita calls for more pressure on local structures
At the same meeting, State Police Director General Skënder Hita asked local police chiefs for greater commitment to public safety, road safety and maritime safety.
He stressed that police performance is measured not only by results in the field, but also by the way officers communicate with citizens and the media. His message was that the response must be timely, both in prevention and in addressing conflicts and citizens’ concerns.
The establishment of a dedicated environmental crimes unit is being presented as an institutional response to a problem that this year has produced major consequences. But it remains to be seen whether the warning will be accompanied by concrete investigations, criminal accountability and measurable results in the field.