The killing of a 24-year-old in Shkodër immediately brought the state of security in the county and the record of the local police back into focus. Just hours after the incident, State Police Director General Skënder Hita held a meeting with the structures of the Local Directorate, where, according to statements made at the meeting, he expressed dissatisfaction with the results and described Shkodër as a city that remains problematic.
Urgent meeting after the serious incident
The meeting was held on the same day that Ylber Luli, 24, was killed in Shkodër following a conflict. According to police, the suspected perpetrator is Andri Vulaj, who was arrested immediately after the crime.
The move by the head of the State Police came at a time when questions about the prevention of serious incidents and the real response of local structures are unavoidable, especially in a county that for years has been cited for ongoing problems with public order and crime.
Criticism over crime detection and criminal groups
During the meeting, Skënder Hita appeared dissatisfied with the work of the Shkodër police. According to what was stated at the meeting, the criticism touched on a range of issues: from the detection of murders to crime, criminal groups, the cultivation and trafficking of cannabis, as well as road traffic.
In essence, the police’s own top leadership acknowledges that results in the county are not considered sufficient. This makes the contrast even sharper between statements about control of the territory and the reality that erupts every time another serious incident occurs.
Shkodër again on the list of problematic counties
According to the official version, Hita called for greater effectiveness in cracking down on criminal groups, solving crimes, especially murders, as well as in the fight against drug cultivation. School safety was also discussed at the meeting, ahead of the start of the new school season.
The fact that Shkodër continues to be labeled a problematic county by the police themselves once again raises questions about why these concerns keep recurring while results are demanded after every serious incident.
The meeting lasted more than an hour
The meeting in Shkodër lasted more than an hour. It comes as part of a series of meetings that the Director General of the State Police is holding in different counties of the country with local leaders and other police structures.
Shkodër carries particular weight in this series of meetings, not only because of the latest incident, but also because the issues mentioned at the meeting are among the most sensitive for public order and citizens’ trust in security institutions.
Beyond the internal criticism and the demand for “more results,” it remains to be seen whether this will translate into concrete change on the ground or remain another administrative reaction after a killing that shocked the city.
If the police leadership itself acknowledges that Shkodër remains problematic, then the debate is no longer only about the response after the incident, but about the failure to prevent it.