At the celebration of the Day of the Department for Security Management and VIP Protection, Dacic said that the Serbian police will do all they can to prevent the repetition of violent events such as the burning down of embassies and the assassination of the former Prime Minister.

Serbia is ready to deal with organised crime and terrorism, said the Minister, adding that no criminals will be spared nor will any enjoy political, national or religious privileges.

Minister Dacic reiterated that crime knows no national differences, noting that good cooperation among state security services and judicial bodies is the main precondition for an efficient fight against crime.

He said that the Department for Security Management and VIP Protection provides security services to several important personalities, including top state officials, judicial functionaries, diplomats and public figures.

Speaking about the Interior Ministry’s stance concerning the possibility of engaging the services of the department’s personnel for private purposes, Dacic said that it is the Ministry’s opinion that this is not permissible.

He said that it was proposed many times that this issue should be resolved by comparative analysis of the Serbian police force and police in other countries, and to examine the option of making it possible for those who wish to engage police personnel to do so on a commercial basis, as is the practice in many countries.

All members of the police force who are found guilty of rendering services to criminals will be punished severely, said the Minister, adding that the state is determined to deal thoroughly with the problem of organised crime and corruption.

Head of the department for security management and VIP protection Zoran Tomasevic said that the department was founded in 2003 and it now employs 1.306 members of the police force.

Tomasevic said that a training programme has been designed to further improve the skill of the employees and seminars and tests have been held as well, adding that training facilities have also been renovated.

He said that the renovation of the entire building that houses the department has also started and a library and target practice facility will now also be available.

Dacic also toured the training areas and saw the new uniform for members of the department.

The ceremony included exercises by member of the department who displayed their martial arts skills and practices carried out in various security situations.

The ceremony was also attended by Director of Police Milorad Veljovic