OSCE Mission to Skopje helps police learn investigative interviewing techniques to fight organized crime

SKOPJE, 19 December 2008 - Thirty five police officers from the Interior Ministry's Organized Crime Department completed an OSCE-supported training course today that sharpened their investigative interviewing techniques as part of an initiative to combat organized crime.

During the three-week course, the first of its kind, the officers learned about the latest international investigative interviewing models. The course was organized with the support of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje.

"The new skills the police officers learned are extremely practical and will help them with their day-to-day work," said Bruno Hedermann, the Acting Head of the Mission's Police Development Department.

Mitko Cavkov, the Head of the Interior Ministry's Organized Crime Department, added: "The course taught the participants about the latest European trends in interviewing suspected persons, witnesses and victims of criminal acts, making a significant contribution to the fight against all forms and types of organized crime."