The CEPA-Book for the year 2018 was published
The actual edition of the CEPA book 2018 is released under the (German) section "Publikationen"/"Das MEPA-Buch"
Remark: The CEPA Book is only available in German language
The act is structured in a general section and seven country chapters. The general section includes the topics "CEPA", "International Police Cooperation" and "International Legal Assistance".
The country chapters contain inputs to the particular legal situation, the respective organization of police forces, criminal incidents and crime combating strategies.
Given that the book should particularly serve as reference work for the participants of the Main and Special Courses it is supplied with search and research features as well as book marks and links.
CEPA-German Course 2018 at the Police College in Baden-Württemberg
As it was during the last years the CEPA-German course took place at the Police College in Baden-Württemberg on behalf of the Ministry of Interior. This year from the 19th of February until the 2nd of March.
A total of 11 Police Officers from Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovenia and Slovakia were engaged with actual criminalistic, social and political themes in German for the duration of two weeks. As for example with the question about the limitations an possibilities of "Predictive Policing", the practice of disgorgement in the different countries and the possibilities or wishes regarding the improvement of an international cooperation.
Besides the learning several cultural amenities of Baden-Württemberg were introduced to the course participants. A guided tour through Villingen, an excursion to the museum of clock and watch industry in Schwenningen and the "Mercedes-Benz-Museum" at the state capital Stuttgart were organized and ensured enthusiasm within the group.
The Police College thanked for the pleasant seminar and wished all participants a convenient Main Course.
An acceptable side effect of the time spent together with the communicative German Course and the common recreational activities is the development of amicable and collegial liaison for effective cross-border cooperation.
CEPA seminar „New crime specifications with regard to migration and to the public sense of security”
23 participants from the seven CEPA States attended the seminar from 13th till 16th November 2017 in Vienna/A. A comprehensive program was offered to them, which was elaborated by the CEPA Central Coordination Office.
In the frame of the seminar the relevant developments and the phenomenon within the CEPA States to the regarding topic were reviewed from a research and a police practice point of view. Presentations were given with respect to appropriate arrangements and the experiences made by its implementation.
The kick-off was made by the Austrian Federal Office of Criminal Investigations together with the Viennese Office of Criminal Investigations with a presentation about crime and pitch incursions by ethnic groups.
Regarding the preliminary events leading up and the following investigations to the incidents on the occasion of the new year`s eve 2015/2016 in Cologne/GER a presentation was given by the German Police Academy.
The Institute of Science and Research of the Austrian Security Academy examined the public sense of security with regard to the topic.
Presentations were given to the fight against migration crime and human trafficking by the Austrian Federal Office of Criminal Investigations as well as the German Federal Police.
The participants used the seminar not only for a vivid exchange of information and experiences but also to held oral presentation by themselves about actual as well as closed cases from their home countries.
To the topics "Behaving of major groups of humans in public and impacts to the public sense of security", "crime in the context of immigration – selected research results for the police practice", "prevention and integration by professional cooperation with refugee facilities" and "challenges for the police advanced training" country-specific oral presentations were given.
The completion was made by the Austrian Federal Agency for State Protection and Counter Terrorism with a presentation to the actual status of migration from a State Protection Body perspective.
The feedback of the participants emphasized that personal contacts, made during CEPA activities is crucial and indispensable for their daily business and the associated international cooperation with regards to it.
CEPA board of trustees meeting 2017 in Prague/CZ
The board of trustee's members of the seven CEPA States held a meeting from 07th till 09th November 2017 at the yearly board of trustees meeting for preparing CEPA operational measures and activities for 2018. This event was organized by the National Contact Point in the Czech Republic. The board of trustees is the functional body of the organization and implements the strategically parameters of the CEPA board of directors.
The meeting was opened by Petr Novák, CEPA board director in the Czech Republic. At the first day of the conference the CEPA advanced training sessions of the year 2017 were summed up and evaluated on the basis of the existing experiences and reports of the CEPA courses and seminars. The first evening was closed with a sightseeing tour.
The agenda of the two further days contained an intensive work plan with the intention for planning and implementing the CEPA activities for 2018. The CEPA board of trustees determines the contents and number of seminars and plans all events for the next years. The CEPA board of trustees has to deal with the strategically parameters of the CEPA board of directors as well. During such meetings it is determined which topics of the course leader conference for the respective courses need to be elaborated and which editorial procedures with the online portal of CEPA (www.mepa.net) have to be carried out.
In 2018 a total of 10 advanced training sessions for different main issues will be offered. The actual Border Police topics can be retrieved on the level of range. The CEPA Main Course and the CEPA Special Course will be organized within the activity catalogue for 2018 as well. Work shadowing within the CEPA States will be possible in 2018.
Work Shadowing of the actual master`s degree seminar of the German Police Academy in Hungary
From 25th October till 27th October 2017 the participants of the actual master`s degree seminar of the German Police Academy observed in Hungary.
The structure of the Hungarian Police, the tasks of the Center for International Advanced Training and the challenges of illegal migration in Hungary were introduced to the trainees.
During the work shadowing the colleagues had the opportunity to listen a speech about Hungarian authorities for public orders and to get to know the work of CEPA in Hungary. Presentations were given to the subjects "Cross-Border Police Cooperation" and the actual crime focuses in Hungary.
During their stay the Master Degree Students visited the Police Department in CSONGRÁ, the transit zone respectively the provisional border blockade at the border between Hungary and Serbia, as well as the primary control unit for Border Control in Mórahalom.
All of the 15 colleagues of different Police Forces in Germany were inspired by the content of the prepared operational agenda.
Visit of the Master`s degree seminar of the German Police Academy to the Security Academy in Vienna
From 22th till 25th October 2017 a study trip of the actual master`s degree seminar of the German Police Academy took place to the Austrian Security Academy in Vienna.
The topic of it was to get to know the Austrian Law Enforcement structure and the system of education and advance training of the Austrian Security Academy.
As an additional key aspect the cross-border cooperation was discussed and core areas of crime in Austria were reconsidered. At the same time the accomplishment of migration was debated with experts.
During their stay the colleagues of the German Police Academy visited the primary control unit of the Vienna Police Department and the special unit of the Vienna Police "WEGA". Another highlight was the excursion to the Austrian Police Special Forces "COBRA" at their base in Vienna.
All of the 15 colleagues of different Police Forces in Germany were inspired by the different systems of the Austrian executive and the cultural choice of Vienna.
Forensic science – „International expert seminar in Budapest/HUN“ about new methods and means on crime scene investigations
The CEPA National Contact Point of Hungary in cooperation with the staff of forensic science of the main department of the Hungarian police headquarters organized the international expert seminar "Forensic science – new methods and means on crime scene investigations" from 17th to 20th October 2017 in Budapest/HUN in the center for international advanced training of the Hungarian Police Headquarters.
The goal of this seminar was the actualization about the stand of knowledge and information on the field of crime scene investigations. Country specific phenomenon`s were illustrated and speeches were held about key aspects, trends and modi operandi from a crime scene investigations point of view.
New methods, means and opportunities in the field of crime scene investigations were introduced to the participants. Lectures on the subject areas equipment of crime scene vehicles and the working philosophy of crime scene investigators within the CEPA States were given.
On the example of a designed crime scene the differences as well as the commonalities of the methods and means of crime scene investigation were illustrated.
It was a pleasure for the organizers to welcome several former CEPA Main Course and CEPA Special Course alumni to participate on this expert seminar. The level of the seminar was extremely high.
In the course of a sightseeing tour the 35 attendee from Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Hungary had then the possibility to make helpful contacts in the interest of an efficient cooperation.
The closing event of the 23rd CEPA Special Course took place in a ceremonial framework
The closing event of the 23rd CEPA Special Course „Gross-border cooperation for compensating measures plus border police tasks (for border police officers) took place at the hotel "Lindner Belvedere" on the 13th October 2017 with the attendance of high ranked guests.
Between the 18th September and 13th October a total of 18 Police Officers of the seven CEPA States had the opportunity to attend the Special Course for a period of four weeks at the advanced training facilities in Bad Endorf (GER), Ljubljana (SLO), Michalovce (SLK) an Vienna (AUT).
The newest investigation methods and combat measures in the area of compensating measures within internal frontiers and therewith coherent criminal analyses were at the focus. The currently actual topic within the Member States "mass migration" and the "flow of refugees towards Europe" were naturally intensively examined and discussed.
A workshop to the issue "Consequences of security related incidents and the corresponding medial reporting for the sense of security of the general public" were elaborated. The outcome was presented at the closing event in front of an international committee.
The director of the department border police of the police headquarters in Slovakia, Colonel Dr. Ladislav Chabreček mentioned in his commemorative speech the importance of cross-border cooperation and the requirement of cooperation with regard to the fight of illegal migration. Mr. Christian Dichtl, the class representative of the 23rd CEPA Special Course, thanked the people in power of CEPA for the implementation of the course.
The head of department II/2 of the Austrian MOI, Maj. Gen. Robert Strondl handed over the certificates to the attendees and congratulated them to the graduation of the 23rd CEPA Special Course.
Follow-up seminar for CEPA alumni of the years 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2012 in Budapest/HUN
Overall 25 CEPA Main Course alumni of the seven CEPA States had the opportunity to meet together in the center of international advanced training in Budapest/HUN.
The event was opened by the CEPA committee member Brigadier Dr István FARKAS, director general of the center of international advanced training.
The aim of the seminar was primarily the actualization of the state of knowledge and information in terms of OC relevant offences, the acquaintance of new offender specific attributes and special modality of crime, as well as the identification of new measures and methods for the fight against and the prevention of OC.
One of the important goals of the seminar was according the CEPA slogan naturally the exchange of knowledge from experiences in the past and the refreshment of the foreign language competence of the non-German speaking participants.
During the three working days the participants of the seminar, who were all alumni of CEPA Main Courses, as well as the course instructors gave lectures on challenges with combating crime, international crime investigation cooperation and the challenges and approaches connected to that.
The spectrum of the topics was specifically broad and the participants learned about new phenomenon and special modalities of crime. Remarkable exciting were the lectures about such cases, where the clarification would have been very unlikely without international cooperation between public authorities and colleagues of the CEPA States.
During the discussion about actual CEPA questions and the achieved successes based on CEPA activities the participants completely argued that the CEPA presentation as well as the alumni network applies for an outstanding and efficient form of international crime investigation cooperation.
23rd CEPA Special Course opening on 19th September 2017 in Germany
The 23rd CEPA Special course takes places from 18thSeptember 2017 till 13th October 2017. The course will be holding on four venues in Germany, Slovenia, Slovakia and Austria. The course was opened now at the Federal Sport Academy in Bad Endorf/Germany from the Central Coordination Office together with the German course leader.
The special course will now last 4 weeks with totally 19 participants from the 7 CEPA States. The duration presupposes that on 3 venues each 2 CEPA States are responsible for the contents and at the last week Austria additionally will organize the closure of the course.
During the course the participants will learn from experts of the CEPA States about the newest trends about cross-border crime and modern methods for the fight against it. The international and cross-border cooperation and the elaboration of common cooperation methods are in the foreground for that matter. Also the actually mass migration at this time and the illegal migration will constitute a special significance within this course.
The participation on practical exercises for a modern and efficient border control shall indicate the surplus of such courses.
In the course of the special course the 19 participants will attend workshops which shall deal within these 4 weeks with different topics regarding "Challenges with social media with border control and migration". At the end of the course the findings of the workshops will be presented to an expert forum. The workshops itself will be accompanied and guided by experienced Border Police Officers from Switzerland and Germany as hosts.