13:30:17:06:08 Page 73 Page 73 4 Policing in Serbia Negotiating the transition between rhetoric and reform Sonja Stojanovic and Mark Downes Introduction Serbia has witnessed dramatic change over the past two decades, from the end of communism, to the rise of nationalism, the Balkan conflicts and finally the wave of democratic transition that culminated in the ousting of the Milosevic regime in October 2000. Like all emerging democracies, one of Serbia’s main challenges is overcoming the legacy of its past. The transition from a central- ised, politicised and militarised police force to a ‘service’ that views its role as being a guarantor of the rule of law and a public service, is a long and painful journey. The role that a (un)reformed police and justice sector plays in the process of democratisation cannot be underestimated; similarly a process of democratisation has a direct impact on the trajectory of reform within the police. Understanding this symbiotic relationship in the case of Serbia is one of the main objectives of this chapter. It has been seven years since the inception of police reforms in Serbia as part of the democratic transition, even after this time the question remains whether the reforms have reached their tipping point, the point of no return when it comes to creating a democratic, effective and service oriented police. While the tide of change within the Serbian police is evident, in some areas the political will to support the radical reform required has receded under the current government. While many reforms have taken place, most have occurred at a formal, structural level, and have not been followed-up or consolidated through the reform of management practices, a change in police culture and the day-to-day substance of police work. To understand how best to tackle the challenges facing today’s police service in Serbia, it is necessary to understand its historical legacy. The period since the end of communism can be divided into three distinct phases: first, the period of authoritarian policing under the government of Slobodan Milosevic (1990s); second, the period of early democratisation which lasted from the fall of Milosevic’s regime until the assassination of the first demo- cratic Prime Minister, Zoran Djindjic (2000–2003) and third; the period after the assassination of Djindjic until the present day (2003 to today). The challenge for the Serbian police service in the period since the transition to