Skopje, 31 July 2026 (MIA) – The police profession is more than a job, it is a life choice and a responsibility that requires courage, discipline and humanity. There will be days when you will be the first to arrive at an accident scene, the first to respond to a call for help and the first to stand between danger and the citizens. That is why this uniform carries great responsibility, but also great honour, Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski said Friday at the ceremony marking the promotion of 496 new police officers from the 2025-2026 generation at the Police Academy in Idrizovo.

Attending the promotion ceremony were also Police Academy Assistant Minister Vlatko Mitkovski and Minister of Education and Science Vesna Janevska. Toshkovski stressed that with today’s ceremonial oath, the new officers are not only gaining employment, but accepting a great responsibility and taking on the honor of wearing the uniform that citizens recognize as a symbol of order, law and security.

According to him, a strong state begins with strong institutions, while security is the foundation on which economic development, legal certainty and the quality of life of every citizen are built.

“Today, as you take the solemn oath, accept it as a personal commitment before yourselves, your families, your colleagues and Macedonia. Commit to always respecting the Constitution and the laws, to waging an uncompromising fight against crime and corruption, to protecting the security of every citizen regardless of their ethnic, religious, political or any other affiliation, and to carrying the police uniform with dignity,” Toshkovski stressed.

He said that upon taking office, together with his associates, they launched a process of comprehensive modernization and strengthening of the Macedonian police. Among the measures implemented, he highlighted new police stations, modern equipment, a new vehicles, improved working conditions and digitalization of services.

“The results are already visible. Today, Macedonia has the lowest crime rate in the past 20 years, which is the result of the dedicated work of every police officer, as well as the reforms, modernization and professionalization we have been continuously implementing. This confirms that when we invest in people, knowledge and institutions, results follow,” Toshkovski stressed.

He noted that this generation demonstrated exceptional readiness, discipline and professional potential even during the training, adding that it is also the first generation to complete its training in fully renovated facilities.

“The Training Center in Idrizovo today represents a modern educational institution, internationally accredited to provide police education in accordance with the highest professional standards. As of this year, the Training Center is being transformed into a Police Academy, which will become the driving force behind the development of police education, continuous training and professional specialization of all police officers,” Toshkovski said.

Police Academy Assistant Minister Vlatko Mitkovski said during the ceremony that this is the first generation to complete the new model of targeted basic training, structured into three specialized modules: general police duties and traffic, completed by 364 candidates; border police affairs, completed by 78 candidates; and special police operations, completed by 54 candidates.

He underscored that this generation will also be remembered for demonstrating humanity and social responsibility. He added that the generation will also be remembered for its humanitarian activities, including food donations, charity campaigns for children and blood donation drives.

Mitkovski told the new officers that the greatest lesson of their training was the importance of integrity. He stressed that while knowledge and skills can always be improved, honesty, responsibility and justice must remain their guiding principles, adding that the police uniform represents trust that must be earned every day through professional and lawful conduct.

He told the new police officers that the policing profession requires continuous learning and that the real academy begins in the field - through experience, every challenge they face, every decision they make correctly, and every citizen they help.

Photo: screenshot