Department of Internal Control, Criminal Investigations and Professional Standards is the control mechanism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs over the work of the police and the Ministry. Therefore, the competencies of the Department cover a wide range of measures and activities aimed at identifying unprofessional, unlawful, and unethical conduct by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as taking various measures and activities to prevent such behavior from both a preventive and repressive perspective.
According to the Law on Internal Affairs, the Department of Internal Control, Criminal Investigations and Professional Standards is a separate and independent organizational unit within the Ministry of Internal Affairs that conducts internal control for the needs of the Ministry and carries out procedures for assessing the legality of the actions of employees within the Ministry.
Citizens have the right to file complaints with the Ministry, specifically with this Department, for the protection and realization of their rights, especially when they believe that their freedoms and rights have been violated by the conduct of Ministry employees. The Department of Internal Control, Criminal Investigations and Professional Standards must, within no more than 30 days from the receipt of a complaint in written form, inform the complainant about the findings and the measures taken.
The fight against corruption in the Ministry and the police will continuously be directed towards maintaining already achieved results and raising the level of efficiency. The Department of Internal Control, Criminal Investigations and Professional Standards, through its proactive fight against corruption, will take measures and activities to narrow the scope of corrupt behavior among Ministry and police employees, as well as detect and appropriately sanction every specific case of unlawful and unprofessional conduct by employees of the Ministry. Emphasis in the work of the Department will be placed on consistent respect for the body of human freedoms and rights according to the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia and ratified international treaties by the Ministry and police.
Considering the commitment to fully realize the preventive function, the Department of Internal Control, Criminal Investigations and Professional Standards will conduct continuous controls in organizational units of the Ministry to ensure consistent application of legal regulations, acting in accordance with rules and procedures aimed at protecting human freedoms and rights and establishing a partnership relationship with citizens, as well as full respect for human freedoms and rights, all with the goal of realizing the function of the police as a service to the citizens.
Based on the collected data, information, and knowledge obtained by the Department of Internal Control, Criminal Investigations and Professional Standards, planned and organized measures and activities will be undertaken to document and prove unlawful, unprofessional, and corrupt behavior by employees within the Ministry.