ANNUAL REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE POLICE 2001

2 Maintaining Public Order and Ensuring the General Safety of People and Property

2.1 MAINTAINING PUBLIC ORDER

The good and timely organisation and planning of police work contributed to a relatively satisfactory public order situation. Two of the more noteworthy incidents that required the use of means of force were the refusal of entry to foreigners at the Fernetiči border crossing on their way to an anti-globalisation demonstration in Ljubljana, and the demonstration in front of the US embassy during the meeting between the US and Russian presidents.

Following the terrorist attacks in the US on 11 September 2001, security measures were implemented to increase the security of protected buildings and increase the effectiveness of border control. To this end a special group was set up; it coordinated work at the national level. Police officers were additionally engaged in examining postal consignments containing white powder, although analyses showed no traces of anthrax.

Police work in the area of public order also came under the supervision of the human rights ombudsman, who carried out a series of supervisory measures focusing on deprivation of liberty in police units. He also a constitutional review of several articles of the Misdemeanours Act dealing with deprivation of liberty (detention).

Despite occasional criticism of heavy-handed police procedures and comments on late intervention, the police carried out its work in the area of public order successfully and professionally.

Preventive activities

Preventive activities were concentrated on preventing violations of regulations at large-scale (particularly sporting) events. Great attention was paid to directing work in the summer and winter tourist seasons, as well as preventive activities to ensure safety on trains, at demonstrations, in mountain areas and on ski slopes, to improve safety of the environment and to reduce the dangers involved in the use of fireworks. The police published safety advice for those attending public events (particularly football matches) on their website, and safety advice for girls and women.

Dealing with violations and the measures taken

Police officers dealt with 70,745 (68,562) violations of public order regulations in 2001 - a rise of 3.2%. The number of violations of the Offences Against Public Order and Peace Act increased by 6.4%. Regarding violations of other regulations, the greatest increase was in violations of the Private Protection and Obligatory Organisation of Security Services Act and the Identity Card Act.

Violations of public order in public places, particularly in bars, clubs and restaurants and at sporting events, entailed greater police presence and involvement, among other things because of excessive noise, particularly in bars, clubs and restaurants.

Violations of public order regulations, by police directorate 2000-2001

Police officers sent misdemeanours judges 41,880 (40,415) proposals for the initiation of misdemeanours proceedings against 62,153 (60,484) individuals and 405 (355) legal entities. In addition, 834 warnings were issued⁶.

Violations of public order and peace at sporting events (mostly at football, handball and basketball matches) rose by 4.3% in 2001. The special police unit was also on hand to ensure safety at high-risk football matches and other sporting events.

Most violations of the Offences Against Public Order and Peace Act were committed on the street, in public squares, in apartments, and in bars, clubs and restaurants.

Violations of other regulations

Police officers dealt with 29,761 (30,030) violations of other public order regulations in 2001; three-quarters of these were violations of the Aliens Act, the Manufacture and Trafficking of Drugs Act, and the State Border Control Act.

Violations of other regulations 2000-2001

The number of violations of the Identity Card Act rose because of more frequent identity checking. In the course of the monitoring of private security firms carried out by police officers in collaboration with the Private Security and Detective Agencies Service at the Ministry of the Interior, more violations of the Private Protection and Obligatory Organisation of Security Services Act were uncovered than the year before. The reduction in the number of violations of the Weapons Act was the result of the implementation of the new Weapons Act.

Violations of weapons regulations

On the basis of the new Weapons Act, individuals in possession of weapons or ammunition without the appropriate documents may hand them into the administrative body or the police and at the same time request their legalisation. Police work adapted to these new arrangements, which meant that fewer house searches for illegal weapons were carried out.

Figures on the number of weapons and explosives found and the number seized in relation to the committing of criminal offences or misdemeanours are shown in the table below. The increase in the number of weapons seized in 2001 was largely the consequence of the seizure of larger quantities of firearms at the Port of Koper.

Found and seized weapons and explosives 1997-2001

Police officers dealt with 1,002 (1,261) violations of the Weapons Act in 2001, or 20.5% fewer than the year before. The only increases in the number of established violations were in the areas covered by Slovenj Gradec, Ljubljana and Nova Gorica police directorates.

In collaboration with the Bureau for Administrative Internal Affairs at the Ministry of the Interior, the police drew up guidelines for the implementation of the procedure of the legalisation of weapons on the basis of the new Weapons Act. A total of 6,378 applications for the legalisation of weapons were made to administrative units in the first half of 2001; in addition there were many weapons delivered to police stations (hand grenades, hand-held mortars, explosives) for which applications for legalisation were not made.

Seventy-nine (52) initiatives to introduce an administrative procedure to confiscate weapons because of a suspicion that the individuals involved did not fulfil the conditions for weapons possession were sent to competent administrative units.

In 2001 police officers established 23 (37) instances of injury to persons through the use of weapons, ammunition or explosives. Careless or unprofessional handling was the most frequent cause of injury. Firearms were used in 37 (55) suicides and 11 (9) attempted suicides, with pistols most commonly used.

Police officers drew up 139 (234) proposals for misdemeanours judges relating to inappropriate use of fireworks.

Protests

Owing to poor or inefficient work on the part of state or local authorities, social problems, demands to respect human rights and improve environmental protection and a number of other reasons, there were several different forms of protest and expression of dissatisfaction in 2001. Police officers were present at 107 (124) demonstrations and 22 (15) strikes.

Police officers implemented measures at unlawful demonstrations and street blockades on the basis of guidelines that require that conflict resolution be achieved in a non-violent manner, that participants be warned that their conduct is against the law, and that means of force be used only in the event of extreme disregard for the legal measures laid down. At the demonstration organised by various anti-globalisation groups from Slovenia and abroad during the meeting between the US and Russian presidents, police officers only implemented measures restricting movement.

Public meetings and events

Police officers maintained public order, regulated traffic and ensured the safety of people and property at public meetings and events in 2001. The increased involvement of police officers was necessary at a number of public and tourist events, fairs, and cultural and entertainment events, where they performed tasks on the basis of specially drawn-up plans.

Police presence was particularly required to ensure safety at international football, handball, basketball and ice-hockey matches, at various club competitions, and at alpine skiing competitions involving fans from Croatia. For the more important matches in Slovenia and abroad, the police exchanged information through Interpol on travelling fans and other important information in order to plan safety and security measures.

2.2 DEALING WITH ACCIDENTS AND OTHER EVENTS

Police officers dealt with 78 (95) cases of the polluting and endangering of the environment in 2001. There were 54 (62) cases of hazardous substances being discharged into water or the ground. In other cases waste was incorrectly dumped or stored, or else the environment was polluted in another way.

Police officers also performed tasks in relation to 22 (33) natural disasters and 10 (33) accidents on water.

Police officers dealt with 102 (88) mountain accidents in 2001; 14 (13) people died, 48 (29) were seriously injured and 31 (30) were slightly injured. Most mountain accidents were caused by slipping, inadequate equipment, ignorance of the terrain, falls during climbing, falling rocks, and in the course of tour skiing.

There were 98 (105) incidents connected with safety on ski slopes; 3 (0) people lost their lives.

Police officers dealt with 15 (18) drownings in 2001.

Police officers also dealt with 30 (28) air accidents; one (1) person died, 12 (13) were seriously injured and six (1) were slightly injured. The causes of accidents were poor weather conditions, inexperience and aircraft failure.

Together with Slovenian Railways' expert services, the police dealt with 74 (96) "extraordinary" railway incidents. Six (6) people lost their lives and 8 (9) were seriously or slightly injured; there was also material damage. The most common incidents were derailment (23), people being run down (15) and collision (5).

Police officers dealt with 546 (569) suicides in 2001. The most frequent causes were illness, alcoholism and difficult family circumstances. The most frequent method of suicide was hanging, poisoning and using firearms. They also dealt with 340 (344) attempted suicides.

Police officers dealt with 1,549 (1,597) fires, almost four-fifths of them in buildings. The most common causes were spontaneous combustion, the breakdown of electrical equipment and unextinguished cigarettes.

Police officers dealt with 371 (400) accidents at work; 34 (42) people died, 177 (198) were seriously injured and 132 (122) were slightly injured. Most accidents occurred in work with machinery, tractors and so on.

The police organised and, in collaboration with others, carried out 125 (122) missing persons searches. Three (6) persons were found dead during searches and 120 were found alive or returned home themselves.

Police officers also carried out 538 (531) searches of locations where sudden death had occurred.

2.3 PROVIDING HELP TO CITIZENS AND INSTITUTIONS

In 2001 the flight police unit participated in 96 rescue and 6 search operations. In mountain areas it airlifted 90 injured persons to safety and recovered 9 bodies. It also transported patients, injured persons, babies in incubators and the sick from one hospital to another; the unit encountered a fair number of problems here due to the fact that there is still no suitable spot for helicopters to land near Ljubljana University Hospital.

In accordance with regulations, police units provided help to state bodies, commercial companies and institutes, as well as other organisations and individuals with public authorisations, when individuals put up physical resistance (or when resistance was expected) during the performance of their appointed tasks. Police officers provided this type of help in 640 (575) cases, mostly at the request of health workers (directing mental patients to psychiatric clinics - 250 (210) cases), courts (166/149), inspection services (86/76), social security centres (15/53), etc.

Police officers also provided help to representatives of state bodies in detecting and preventing illegal work and employment. This help proceeded on the basis of the government resolution on the establishment of a government commission for the detection and prevention of illegal work and employment through stricter joint monitoring and harmonisation in the detection of illegal work and employment in commercial companies and sole traders involved in construction, the catering industry and trade. In 196 monitoring operations to prevent illegal work and employment, police officers drew up 47 proposals for the introduction of misdemeanour proceedings, established identity on 96 occasions, on three occasions provided help to inspectors working for the inspection services (possible threats during inspection), twice carried out personal security checks, on three occasions detained persons on the basis of the Misdemeanours Act, and sent 76 misdemeanour reports to competent inspection bodies.