RIGA - The priorities of newly re-appointed State Police (VP) Chief Armands Ruks in his second term of office will be to build police capacity, combat violence and strengthen internal security in general, Ruks told a government meeting on Tuesday.
Ruks told the Cabinet meeting, which decided on his confirmation for a second term, that the big challenge for the police is to ensure internal security, which can be achieved by building this capacity themselves, involving people and promoting cooperation with other institutions.
Other priorities he highlighted were to enhance and strengthen the readiness of the VP in the context of the National Civil Protection Plan. He also highlighted the work of the VP to combat violence, including the reduction of hate speech and the fight against this in the on-line environment.
He mentioned as an important issue the strengthening of the police staff and ensuring sufficient human resources. On the issue of recruitment, he thanked politicians for finding funds in this year's state budget to increase the salaries of internal affairs officers.
The chief of the VP added that new financial investments would also be needed to strengthen the capacity of the police, such as the purchase of anti-drone equipment.
Ruks observed that there is a trend in the police at the moment that people want to rejoin the service and that people with higher education are interested in opportunities in the service. For example, 24 new colleagues with higher education will join the police on April 7, Ruks said.
Ruks believes that in his first term in his post he has succeeded in raising the prestige of the police. He referred to an SKDS survey showing that around 70 percent of the public trusted the police.
As for new ideas, Ruks said that the creation of a police watch - involving volunteers, as in Estonia, where there are around 2,000 volunteers involved in policing mass events - is worth discussing. He believes that this would make people feel more involved and belonging, and increase trust in the internal affairs services.
As reported, on Tuesday, the government re-appointed State Police Chief Armands Ruks for a second term.
Ruks' term as Chief of the State Police is now set until October 13, 2030.
Under the law, the Chief of the State Police is appointed for five years by the Minister of the Interior after the Cabinet of Ministers approves the nomination.
Ruks was confirmed State Police chief by the government on October 13, 2020.
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