Šapić Is Building a Private Police Force of 2,200 People Worth €690 Million – Belgrade Is Getting a Sheriff

While Belgraders watch Apoteka Beograd collapse, green spaces disappear, and public services deteriorate, the city administration is asking the City Assembly to approve a public-private partnership for an "integrated security system" worth nearly €700 million.

This is not an improvement of public safety. It is the institutionalization of a parallel policing structure that would be funded by taxpayers while operating outside transparent mechanisms of public accountability. Instead of strengthening the regular police and municipal police, the city government plans to finance private security operators.

If this contract is signed, an important question remains: who will control 2,200 personnel, command centers, and a city-wide video analytics system once the current administration leaves office? Is this the construction of a public institution, or a personal infrastructure of political power?

Will Šapić become Belgrade's sheriff after he leaves office?

The Solidarity Civic Movement demands:

• A public consultation and a clear legal assessment of whether the City of Belgrade has the authority to regulate public security in this manner.

• The publication of all documents, assessments, and contracts related to previous "security projects," including surveillance cameras, security stations, and command centers.

• That budget priorities be redirected toward saving Apoteka Beograd and other public services that are deteriorating while a parallel security apparatus is being built.

Belgrade does not need a sheriff. It needs a responsible, transparent, and accountable public administration that protects its citizens—not itself.