Enhancing Law Enforcement and Prosecution Collaboration in Combatting Crime

10 December 2024, BANJA LUKA – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission) continues to strengthen the country's capacity to combat serious crime through the consistent implementation of intelligence-led policing (ILP). As part of this effort, the Mission hosted a workshop in Banja Luka, convening over 40 representatives, including heads of law enforcement agencies, prosecutor’s offices, as well as other relevant institutions from across BiH. This event marked the conclusion of a series of five workshops under the initiative Instituting and Facilitating Regular Inter-Agency Meetings and Briefings Between Agencies and Prosecution.

Participants engaged in a case study addressing critical, structural, and procedural components to enhance inter-agency co-operation. The workshop emphasized the integration of criminal intelligence and analysis into legal proceedings, aiming to fortify the role of ILP in criminal investigations and promote consistent coordination between law enforcement bodies and prosecutors.

The Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH, Thomas Busch, underscored the significance of this initiative: "This event, along with our joint efforts, provides a vital platform for fostering dialogue and collaboration among key stakeholders in the criminal justice system. Bringing together law enforcement and prosecutorial professionals enables the alignment of approaches, the sharing of expertise, and the development of unified strategies to address complex security challenges. This collective effort not only enhances mutual understanding but also ensures that the principles of Intelligence-Led Policing are applied consistently and effectively across the country."

The workshop is part of the OSCE Mission’s broader ILP initiative, Enhancing Intelligence-Led Policing to Combat Serious Security Threats and Crimes, generously supported by Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, and Türkiye.