FORMATION OF JOINT POLICE IN MOSTAR BEGINS

MOSTAR, July 21 (Hina) - The practical establishment of the Cantonal Interior Ministry of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton began on Monday with the formation of six police departments in Mostar and the establishment of police forces which will patrol the town's central zone, the Cantonal Interior Minister Valentin Coric said. As of today, 181 Croat and 160 Bosniak (Muslim) police officers will begin working at the Cantonal Interior Ministry, in line with an agreement the Croat and Bosniak sides signed last week, Coric said. There would be 32 Bosniak policemen in western, Croat-held Mostar, and about 20 Croat policemen in the eastern, Bosniak-held part of the town, the Minister said. These police officers would be deployed in Mostar's six police departments as of 18.00 hours today, Coric said, adding that the town's central zone is as of 15.00 hours patrolled by 50 Croat and 46 Bosniak policemen. The seat of the Cantonal Interior Ministry is in the central zone's district of Cernica, the Minister added. Coric announced that Serbs and those filed as "others" would have the opportunity to apply for police jobs as well. There would be a total of about 220 Serb and other police officers in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, he specified, adding that they would be deployed in the border police and in municipalities whose residents they were according to the 1991 census. Police officers in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton wear the same uniforms and the same metal uniform plates which read 'Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina Herzegovina-Neretva Canton'. All officers will also wear cards with their personal photo. (hina) ha mm 211813 MET jul 97