11/06/2025

Today, at the training ground of the Agency for Education and Professional Training, a demonstration tactical exercise titled “Public Order – Crowd Control Mostar 2025” was successfully completed. The event was organized in cooperation with the Support Unit of the Police Administration of the Ministry of Interior of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNC).

The goal of the exercise was to train police officers in handling situations where public order and peace are disrupted in urban areas, as well as to strengthen cooperation between police units from multiple cantons.

Participants included:

• The Support Unit of the Police Administration of the HNC Ministry of Interior (as the lead unit),
• The Intervention Police Unit of the Sarajevo Canton Ministry of Interior,
• The Special Police Unit of the West Herzegovina Canton Ministry of Interior,
• The Regular Police of the Mostar Police Department.

Cadets from the SIPA, and HNC Ministry of Interior, who are currently undergoing basic police training at the agency, participated as actors simulating scenarios such as confrontations with hooligans, tactical crowd dispersal, and mass arrests.

The scenario of the exercise covered several operational phases: from peaceful gatherings and verbal expression of dissatisfaction, through the escalation of conflict and use of pyrotechnics, to providing medical aid to an injured police officer, followed by a decisive response from police forces involving crowd dispersal, arrest of offenders, and eventual stabilization of the situation. Official equipment, protective gear, and police dogs were used, with full adherence to current procedures.

The participants demonstrated a high level of professionalism, coordination, and readiness to act in crisis situations. At the conclusion of the exercise, the units were assembled, and the Minister of Interior of HNC, Marijo Marić, thanked all who contributed to the success of the exercise with their professional engagement. He emphasized that the HNC police remain committed to protecting citizens and maintaining stability within their jurisdiction.

Organizers highlighted that such exercises are key to ensuring public safety and effective crisis response. The Director of the Agency for Education and Professional Training in Mostar, Marko Vujević, stated that these exercises are extremely important given the current security challenges:

“We live in challenging times and often witness situations where peaceful protests turn into violence. Our special units must be ready to respond in a timely, operational, and professional manner. No one can act alone today, and public order and peace are crucial for the safety of citizens—ensured by professional police forces trained for their core duties,” emphasized Vujević.

Minister Marić also addressed global threats requiring a unified response from law enforcement:

“All of us in law enforcement agencies are aware of global challenges—from artificial intelligence and modern technologies to psychological manipulation. Crime knows no borders and often crosses them, whether it's Ivan Mountain, Makljen, Cerna, Žovnica, Nevesinje, Bišće, or the state border with Croatia,” he said.

He added that independent action has become a luxury and that synergy and coordinated efforts are essential:

“These exercises contribute to strengthening operational readiness and effectiveness in the joint actions of special units from various police agencies. Police tactics are the crown jewel of police work, but they shine only if regularly practiced, refined, and perfected.”

Minister Marić also mentioned that the absence of colleagues from Sarajevo at the final exercise was due to new security threats:

“Minister Katica and Commissioner Hajdarić are not with us today because a security risk was detected in Sarajevo overnight, and an emergency government session may be convened. This only confirms how difficult it is to predict when a security threat will arise and how important constant readiness is. Therefore, I call on all police officers and cadets to remain committed to continuous and intensive training,” concluded Minister Marić.