CEPA Drugs Seminar
This year's CEPA Drugs Seminar took place in Böblingen/Baden-Württemberg from August 20 until August 24, 2018. EKHK Joachim Fischer from the State Criminal Police Office of Baden-Württemberg and EKHK Jürgen Wörner from the Police University, Institute for Further Education, were in charge.
A total of 30 participants from all CEPA states from the police and customs sectors as well as a public prosecutor were represented.
As in previous years, the thematic focus was on drug trafficking on the Internet/Darknet, dealing with new psychoactive substances and the use of confidants and undercover investigators. In addition, the programme was supplemented by lectures on legal changes at European level in the area of confidants, on international cooperation via liaison officers of the German Federal Criminal Police Office and on the implementation of twinning projects.
The supporting programme also offered extensive scope for personal exchange of experience between colleagues in the member countries.
CEPA journal 1/2018
The CEPA journal 1/2018 was published on the topic of "Border Police Challenges".
Printed copies are sent by the National Liaison Offices or the CEPA Central Coordination Office on request to police stations or police officers.
CEPA Follow-up Seminar in Prague
The Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, in cooperation with the Hans Seidel Foundation, organised the CEPA "Follow-up Seminar for Graduates of CEPA Special Courses 2013, 2011, 2003, 2002, 1999 and 1998" at the Spiritka Conference Centre in Prague from 18 to 21 June 2018.
The participants had the opportunity to meet again after a longer period of time. During the four days of the seminar, the experts and participants had the opportunity to expand their expertise in the field of cross-border police cooperation in compensatory measures and border police tasks.
Lectures were given by border police experts on the prevention and management of cross-border crime, border control, border surveillance and risk analysis at borders. The seminar participants presented lectures and analyses on the current situation of illegal migration.
The 26 participants from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Germany and Switzerland were introduced to the work of the Foreign Police Department in the capital Prague during an excursion.
CEPA board of trustees meeting 2018 in Vienna/A
The Trustees of the seven CEPA member countries met from 14 to 17 May 2018 at the annual Trustees' meeting to prepare the operational measures and activities of CEPA in 2019. This event was organized by the National Liaison Office of CEPA in Austria. The CEPA Board of Trustees is the operational body of this organization and implements the strategic guidelines of the CEPA Board.
The meeting was opened by Mr. Andreas Wolf from the Central Coordination Office of CEPA. On the first day of the conference, CEPA's 2018 training events were summarized and evaluated on the basis of the available experience and reports from CEPA courses and seminars. The first evening ended with a city tour.
The agenda for the next two days included an intensive working program to plan and implement the activities for 2019 and the future of CEPA as a whole. The Board of Trustees of the Central European Police Academy determines the content and number of seminars and plans all events for next year. The Board of Trustees also has to deal with the strategic guidelines of the CEPA Board. The content to be developed for the individual CEPA courses and the editorial measures to be taken at CEPA's online portal (www.mepa.net) are determined at the course instructor meetings.
In 2019, eleven advanced training events will be offered on various specialist topics. The range of services also includes current border police issues. The CEPA Main Course and the CEPA Special Course will also be held in 2019 within the Activities Catalogue 2019. Internships within the CEPA countries will also be possible again in 2019.
Completion of the 26th CEPA Main Course in Budapest/HUN
The completion of the 26th CEPA Main Course was held on the 27th of April 2018 with a graduation ceremony in Budapest.
It was organized with the participation of high ranked internal guests and such from abroad at the Centre for international advanced training in Budapest.
The alumni, all of them police practitioners from the seven CEPA States had the opportunity to attend the course between the 12th of March until the 27Th of April in Wiesbaden (GER), Prague (CZ), Vienna (A), Biel (CH), Bratislava (SK), Ljubljana (SLO) und Budapest (H).
The aim of this advanced training was to convey and to deepen investigation and combat methods in the field of cross-border and international criminal police cooperation.
During the course the participants attended a workshop with the main topic "Car Crime". The deliverables was elaborated in written form and presented during the graduation ceremony in front of an International committee.
The written outcome of it will be provided to all investigators within the CEPA States, whereby those police officers, who couldn`t attend the course can avail themselves by the results as well. Additionally the outcomes are provided at the "insider area" of the CEPA homepage for download.
Mag. Jakub Gajdoš, from the „National crime agency of the Police department in Bratislava/SK", mentioned during his speech the importance of CEPA in the field of international police cooperation.
The course speaker Caroline Schröder spoke during her speech about the uniqueness of the advanced trainings of CEPA and thanked all people in charge for the realization.
The General Director of the Centre for internationals advanced training within the Hungarian Ministry of the Interior and CEPA board member, Dr. Istvan Farkas as well as the Director of the headquarters for International Crime Police Cooperation Colonel Oberst Géza HORVÁTH handed over the certificates to the course alumni.
Within the framework of the graduation ceremony a meeting of the course leaders took place as well. Beside the evaluation of the current course the experts and representatives of the CEPA States determined the first concrete topics of the next CEPA Main Course in 2019.
CEPA- Seminar „Police Cooperation within the European internal frontiers”
24 participants from the CEPA-States attended the seminar which was organized at the premises of the district council of Schärding/AUT. The seminar itself was operated by the Central Coordination Office together with the Police Department of Upper Austria.
Dr. Alois Lißl, the Deputy Head of the State Police Department of Upper Austria and Dr. Rudolf Greiner, the district director of Schärding/AUT, welcomed the participants and wished an interesting advanced training.
The aim of the seminar was the consolidation of the knowledge's about the basics and methods of international cooperation and the exchange of common practice in the field of cross-border cooperation within the European internal frontiers. As it is with all CEPA advanced trainings the setting and the development of international professional liaison was at the forefront.
The kick off was made by two participants from Germany, who reported about joint cross border police teams and checking devices for documents in context with dragnet controls. An instructor from the Crime Department of the State Police of Upper Austria held a speech about crime investigations in the field of cross border crime.
Two executive managers of the Austrian Ministry of the Interior reported about the utilization of modern auxiliary means in the field of boarder police tasks, cross border cooperation in the frame of FRONTEX, the utilization of bilateral and multilateral contracts for border police missions and the role of Police Cooperation centers for integrated border management.
At the fourth day of the seminar two speeches were held in the field of cross-border residence burglary crime and transfrontier waste shipment.
During the advanced training the common center of German and Austrian police cooperation in Passau/GER were visited, where a lecture about dragnet control was given. A sightseeing tour through Passau rounded off this issue.
The participants used the seminar for an active exchange of experience and information. During the feedback at the end of the seminar the participants mentioned several times, that the personal contacts which were made during the course are useful and indispensable for the daily police routine in the field of police investigations and the associated international cooperation.
The 26th CEPA Main Course was in Vienna/AUT from 25th until 30th of March
The CEPA Main Course had its base in Vienna from 25th until 30th of March. The 26 participants of the seven CEPA States are since 12th of March on tour through Central Europe and receive thereby the newest information to the topic "Prevention and fight of international relevant crime".
In Vienna practical and operational lectures to the special fields "trafficking in human beings", "rocker crime" and "property crime" was scheduled. In addition a discussion was held by a public prosecutor of the prosecutor`s office in Eisenstadt/AUT with the participants using the example of international investigation with the support of the tools "parallel criminal proceedings" and "Joint Investigation Teams – JIT". The seizure of evidence and the investigative strategies with cybercrime as well as the gaining of insights with the experts of "SIRENE Austria" completed the program.
During a "round-table" the participants had the opportunity to get deeper knowledge about it as well as to talk to experts of different special fields.
The workshop of the 26th CEPA Main Course applies to the subject "car crime" where the participants have to deal with different assignment of tasks. Also this part of the program was processed by the participants.
During sightseeing and with insight to the culture of Vienna the participants could collect impressions and experiences about this city and the country of Austria.
26th CEPA Main Course – 2nd week
The second week of the CEPA Main Course was held from 18th until 23rd of March at the Police Academy in Prague/CZ with the support of the "Hans Seidel-Trust".
At the beginning of the week Mister František Hřebík, the Deputy Rector of the Police Academy in Prague mentioned the importance of CEPA in the frame of international advanced training and wanted much success to all participants. The representative of the Czech Ministry of Interior emphasized the special character of CEPA. At the same time he expressed the willingness of the Czech Republic to support actively CEPA also in the future.
In the course of the week experts of the Czech Republic illustrated actual methods for the fight against organized crime to the participant. International and cross-border cooperation and the elaboration of common measures were therefore in the foreground.
During these five days the participants familiarized themselves with the tasks of the Czech Police Forces and it came also to exchange of experiences. A sightseeing tour through Prague was also on the schedule.
CEPA Course Leader Conference for the 24th CEPA Special Course
The CEPA Course Leader conference took place from 13th of March until 15th of March at the barracks of Andermatt, in the middle of the Alps in Switzerland.
The course leaders and Border Police experts of the 7 CEPA States planed the process and the contents for the 24th Special Course which shall take place this year in Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary.
The CEPA Special Course will last 4 weeks and will be accommodated for a total of 24 participants. The participants are going to be sent by the seven CEPA States. The course duration of 4 weeks requires that at 3 locations at any one time 2 CEPA States are responsible for the contents while at the end of the last week Hungary will additionally organize the closure of the course.
The course will be opened on 17Th of September 2018 in Kreuzlingen/CH and will ceremonially be closed on 12th of October in Budapest/HUN. The participants will therefore travel permanently form one location to another. Within the next weeks the Special Course is going to be announced at the seven CEPA States.
During the course the newest trends and methods for the fight against cross-border crime will be demonstrated by several experts from the CEPA States. The international and regional cooperation will therefore be in the foreground. Also the actual illegal migration will have a special significance for the course. Technical and new measures for border control will complete the program.
26th CEPA Main Course was opened on 12/03/2018 in Germany
The 26th CEPA Main Course takes place from 12th of March until 27th of April, at seven venues in Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia an Hungary. The course was opened on 12th of March through representatives of the German Federal Criminal Police Office and the German Course Leader. During his speech the representative of the managing board of the German Federal Criminal Police Office, LRD Heiko Braß, emphasized the importance of the International Advanced Trainings of CEPA.
The main course will last 7 weeks and a total of 26 participants from the 7 CEPA States will attend the course. The attendees are going to get knowledge about juridical elements as well as operational and tactical measures for the fight against organized crime.
Several experts from the CEPA States will demonstrate to the participants the newest trends and methods for the fight against organized crime during the course. The international and cross-border cooperation and the elaboration of common measures are therefore at the foreground. The permanent issues, such as trafficking in human beings, drug crime and crime against property are going to be outlined as well as new aspects within the range of cybercrime.
The participation at exercises for a modern and efficient fight against crime shall indicate the practical additional value of the course.
During the course the 26 participants will attend workshops which shall deal with different assignment of tasks around the topic car crime. A practical case will provide the basis. At the end of the course the outcome of it will be presented to a brains trust. The workshops will be accompanied and escorted by experienced experts from Germany, Austria and Slovenia as hosts.