New Head of Estonia's Ida Prefecture Outlines Near-Term Plans
Eerik Purgel became the new head of the Ida Police Prefecture on October 1, having previously led the prefecture's Border Guard Bureau. He named drafting an action plan, retaining staff and fighting fraud as top priorities.
As of October 1, Eerik Purgel has become the new head of the Ida Police Prefecture, a post he takes up after previously leading the prefecture's Border Guard Bureau. He noted that starting in October is convenient timing, since preparation of the prefecture's action plan is just beginning.
Purgel said his first task will be assessing work already done and identifying areas that need more attention going forward. He pointed out that in his previous role he focused mainly on border protection, while as prefect he must look at the overall situation. He said he does not want to make hasty, ill-considered decisions and intends to first set long-term goals.
Priorities
Among his priorities, Purgel named recruiting new staff and retaining current employees, as well as developing their professional skills. He stressed that the Ida region holds strategic importance for Estonia, so the possibility of a crisis arising right at the state border must be taken into account.
He specifically highlighted issues of state security and the role of the state language, saying attention to the external border should be reflected both in units' crisis plans and in everyday police work. Another priority he named is combating fraud and investigating crime more broadly — according to Purgel, fraud directly threatens the socioeconomic stability of eastern region residents and their trust in the state.
Purgel began his police career in 2010 in the Northern Prefecture as a traffic police officer. In 2019 he moved to the Ida Prefecture, where he headed the border control and migration service, and since September 2023 he had led the prefecture's Border Guard Bureau.
