The Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Bečić, along with the Minister of the Interior Danilo Šaranović and the Acting Director of the Police Administration Lazar Šćepanović, officially inaugurated the newly built Training Center for the Special Police Unit and the Police Special Task Force today in Podgorica. This advanced facility marks one of the most significant investments in security infrastructure in Montenegro to date.

Deputy Prime Minister Bečić highlighted the symbolic and strategic significance of this accomplishment.

We are establishing a new line of defense for Montenegro—not just against crime, but against the erosion of the values of service and love for our country. This Center sends a strong message: Montenegro will not again be the domain of a handful of families or a sanctuary for organized crime. Never again. Here, officers will be trained to serve only the law and the state, not the underworld, he stated.

While addressing the elite units of the Montenegrin Police, Bečić emphasized the critical need for integrity and accountability among police personnel.

Do not allow a situation where you are aware of any officer’s connections to organized crime while we learn about it from external sources. Do not let us be the ones to reveal such truths before you do. If you remain silent and we uncover the facts, you cease to be police officers—you become accomplices. Do not be those who will face a good person tomorrow, knowing they no longer view you as one of their own, he remarked.

He also expressed his gratitude to all diligent police officers.

Thank you for safeguarding the honor of this nation while others compromised it. Thank you for standing strong when others bowed to the mafia, he added.

Today, we inaugurate a Center—but we also conclude an era. An era in which police badges served personal interests rather than the community. An era in which the truth was known by all, yet spoken by none. That era is over, Bečić concluded.

Interior Minister Danilo Šaranović emphasized the need to invest in human capital and operational readiness.

Human potential is, and always will be, the most crucial asset in our security framework. It is our responsibility to provide every dedicated police officer with both systemic and moral support while continuously fostering an environment that acknowledges commitment and rewards professionalism. By implementing a 24/7 permanent duty model for the Special Police Unit, we are enhancing operational readiness to ensure the quickest response to high-risk and emergency situations. We will do everything necessary to position the Police force as the state’s most faithful protector and the fiercest opponent of lawlessness and crime, Šaranović stated.

Acting Police Director Lazar Šćepanović, who co-hosted the ceremony alongside commanders Rakonjac and Pavićević, emphasized the dual significance of the occasion.

Firstly, it symbolizes concrete support from the Ministry and the Government in improving working conditions and continuously investing in the safety of Montenegrin citizens. Secondly, it reinstates full autonomy and operational command of the Police Administration and both elite units after five years. During this time, these units operated contrary to the Law on Internal Affairs regarding leadership, command, and accountability—especially in managing complex, high-risk operations and threats, he stated.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by members of the Parliamentary Committee on Security and Defence, representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Montenegro, senior officials from the Police Academy, and leaders of multiple units within the Police Administration.