Private Security in Practice: Case studies from Southeast Europe Private Security in Practice: Case studies from Southeast Europe Franziska Klopfer and Nelleke van Amstel (Eds.) Publisher: Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces Authors: Ola Çami Arjan Dyrmishi, Rositsa Dzhekova, Donika Emini, Anton Kojouharev, Marko Milošević, Predrag Petrović, Mentor Vrajolli. Editors: Franziska Klopfer and Nelleke van Amstel Design and Layout: DTP Studio, Belgrade This publication has been made possible by the generous support of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). Disclaimer: The views expressed in this volume are those of the authors alone and do not in any way represent the views of the institutions or their representatives involved in this project. © 2016 DCAF All rights reserved Geneva 2016 Acknowledgements The Editors would like to thank Azra Avdagić, Project Assistant in the Southeast Europe Division of DCAF, for editorial support and the management of translation and publication activities. The Editors are indebted to Alan Bryden, Teodora Fuior and Darko Stančić for providing comments on draft chapters. Particular thanks goes to Paulo Costa, Head of the Police Programme, Southeast Europe Division, DCAF, for useful discussions and input regarding the privatization of police. The Editors would also like to thank Vanessa Murphy, intern at DCAF from April to September 2016, for English language editing. The Editors, Geneva, November 2016 6 TABLE OF CONTENts Understanding Private Security Governance in Southeast Europe Through Case Studies Part 1: The Development of a Private Security Market – Perceptions and Market Conjunctures The Evolving Functions of Private Security in a Small Community in Albania – The Case of Vaqarr Arjan Dyrmishi and Ola Cami PSCs to the Rescue: The Role of PSCs in Deprived, Depopulated and Remote Villages in Bulgaria – The Case of the Vidin Region Anton Kojouharov and Tihomir Bezlov Cooperation between Private Security Companies and the Kosovo Police – Opportunities and Limitation Donika Emini and Mentor Vrajolli Reflections and Questions Part 2: The role of PSCs in the Protection of Objects of National Security Importance Mission Critical, Mission Impossible – The Role of PSCs in Protecting Critical Infrastructure in Bulgaria Rositsa Dzhekova and Anton Kojouharov Privatising the Security of Critical Infrastructure in Serbia – The Case of Private Security at the Hydropower Plant Djerdap Predrag Petrović and Marko Milošević Reflections and Questions Private Security in Practice: Case studies from Southeast Europe Part 3: The Challenge of Quality and Sustainability as a Result of Deficiencies in the Public Procurement Processes The Impact of Public Procurement Practices on the Private Security Sector in Albania – Analysing Public Procurement in Tirana in 2015 Arjan Dyrmishi and Ola Cami Reflections and Questions Part 4: The Challenge of Ensuring Professionalism Amongst PSC Staff Conflicts of Interest – Former and Acting Police in the Business of Private Security in Serbia Predrag Petrović and Marko Milošević Identifying Patterns of Private Security Sector Shortcomings in Kosovo – The Albi Mall Case Donika Emini and Mentor Vrajolli Reflections and Questions Policy Suggestions for Improving Private Security Governance in Southeast Europe 8 Private Security in Practice: Case studies from Southeast Europe UNDERSTANDING PRIVATE SECURITY GOVERNANCE IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE THROUGH CASE STUDIES Why and how should private security be regulated? A group of researchers from Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Serbia and Switzerland has been examining these questions as part of a multi-year proj- ect called the Private Security Research Collaboration Southeast Europe (“PSRC”) 1. The interest of the state in interfering with the activities of private security companies is twofold: first, to ensure that basic pillars of the modern democratic state such as the protection of human rights and the democratic order are not threatened. Second, because the stability of the state and the happiness and prosperity of its citizens also depend on factors such as functioning security and economy. In order to better target its regulation of private security, it would therefore be important for the state to know how private security companies (PSCs) impact on a country’s human rights situa- tion, the democratic order, a functioning security and (to a lesser extent) economy. For Private Security in Practice: Case studies from Southeast Europe the PSRC researchers assem- bled eight case studies that explore the impact that private security has on security, human rights and the democratic order in four Southeast European countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo and Serbia. Since regulation should not only limit the negative impact but also foster the positive con- tribution that private security can make, the authors specifically looked at how challenges posed by PSCs could be avoided and how opportunities can be seized. PSCs should be considered as part of the broader security sector governance framework. It is un- deniable that private security plays an increasingly important role in the security sector of the four target countries. In addition, contemporary approaches to democratic security sector governance, 1 The research team is composed of researchers from the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM), the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD), the Kosovo Centre for Security Studies (KCSS), the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP) and the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF). For more information on the PSRC, see http://www.ppps.dcaf.ch/en/private-security-research-collaboration-south- east-europe-2014-2017 The PSRC is a project supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). It aims to solve questions surrounding private security governance, with a particular focus on the Southeast Europe. The project explores the state of private security in four Southeast European countries – Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo and Serbia – to compare developments and draw broader lessons about the social, economic and political factors that shape the private security sector in a country. 10 consider that the security sector includes all actors who contribute to the provision, management and oversight of security. Providing security within the framework of good governance aims at enhancing state and human security. The human security imperative within good governance means that security meets the needs of all people within a society. This means firstly to ensure security in an efficient, effective and accountable manner. ‘Accountable’ means that decisions about security are made by the peo- ple or their representatives, and that those responsible for security delivery are overseen by and accountable to the peoples’ representatives. The case studies therefore also explore what efficien- cy, effectiveness and accountability mean for private security providers in practice. The case study format was selected because the detailed examination of one incident, challenge or opportunity, allows the authors the analytical depth necessary to meaningfully grasp context, causes, and impacts of private security in practice. In principle a case study speaks exclusively for its specific context, and indeed the editors and authors do not claim that a complete picture of the challenges and opportunities presented by private security in the four target countries can be de- duced from the eight case studies. However, the authors selected the case studies from incidents which they viewed as representative of wider trends in their respective countries.2 Because the aim of this research is to consider both the challenges and the opportunities posed by private security, the authors specifically set out to identify cases representative of both positive and negative industry trends. This said, closer analysis often revealed that ‘positive’ cases masked negative consequences, and vice versa. By exploring the reasons underpinning private security’s positive or negative effect in the specific incidents studied, the case studies also highlight broader structural governance issues in each country. It is therefore possible to derive general lessons from the case studies both for the coun- try in which the incident took place, and for private security in other countries which share similar contextual characteristics. In this vein, at the end of each part a short conclusion compares the lessons from the part’s case studies and places them within a wider policy discussion. It closes with questions for policy makers; asking, on the basis of what we now know from the case studies, how we should address the private security governance challenges raised. Broadly, the case studies cover four governance challenges: the development of the private secu- rity market, particularly in relation to the state’s retreat from its monopoly on security provision (Part 1); the role of private security in the protection of critical infrastructure (Part 2); the state as a client of private security companies and the impact of public procurement processes on the private security market (Part 3); and the success and failure of different policies aimed at improv- ing the professionalism of private security personnel (Part 4). Previous research by the PSRC team 2 Previous research, and in particular the work which produced the PSRC project’s first publication A Force for Good? (cited below), afforded the authors a strong understanding of the major developments