Interior Minister Ervin Demo appeared this Monday at the Shkodër Local Police Directorate at a time when the county is facing a sharp deterioration in public order. The visit comes after the toll of recent months has raised serious questions once again about the real control of the territory and the ability of local structures to prevent serious crimes.
Meeting at police headquarters amid a tense climate
According to the official announcement, Demo was received by the head of the county police, Skënder Hita, and local public order structures. The meeting was held at the premises of the Shkodër Local Police Directorate.
The minister’s presence in the city comes at a delicate moment, when public concern over security has increased markedly and when the criminal incidents of recent weeks have put law enforcement institutions under pressure.
From zero killings in the first half of the year to five cases after July 9
In the first six months of the year, no killings were recorded in Shkodër. But that picture changed significantly after July 9.
Since that date, five killings have been recorded in the county, a development that has brought the issue of security and the effectiveness of the institutional response back to the center of the debate.
Two serious incidents in Dukagjin remain without identified perpetrators
Among the most serious cases are two incidents in the Dukagjin area that have still not been solved. On July 11, Aleksandër Koçeku was killed in an ambush.
On August 23, again in the Dukagjin area, Prelë and Lekë Gjoni, father and son, were executed with firearms. According to publicly released information, more than 90 bullets were fired at them.
Despite the gravity of these incidents, the perpetrators have not been identified or arrested, while investigations continue.
Narcotics also in focus
In addition to the killings, Shkodër continues to be considered a problematic area also for issues linked to the cultivation and trafficking of narcotic substances.
According to the official version, these issues remain in the focus of law enforcement institutions, but recent developments have increased doubts over whether the state’s presence and crackdown on the ground are delivering the results being claimed.
The minister’s visit to Shkodër therefore comes not simply as a routine meeting with local structures, but against the backdrop of a toll that has shaken security in the county.
For now, the main question remains the one residents have been raising for weeks: why such a series of grave incidents continues to remain without concrete answers from the investigation and public order authorities.