Police apologise to father over delayed response at Barona Street playground
State Police admit that information about the 6 October call to the Barona Street playground was registered incompletely and officers arrived after those involved had left. An internal review has begun and patrols nearby are being stepped up.
The State Police have explained why officers failed to arrive in time at a children's playground on Krišjāņa Barona Street in Riga, where a father reported a confrontation with a young man carrying a knife on the evening of 6 October.
According to the police, they received a large number of calls from residents that day, and at some stages of handling the information about the incident, shortcomings occurred in how it was recorded. As a result, a patrol reached the scene much later, when those involved had already left. The police said they will improve their work organisation and apologised to the victim.
The force has now been in touch with the caller, an internal departmental review has been launched, and the people involved are being identified. Patrols around the playground have also been stepped up.
The father's account
The man, who gave his name as Rafiks, says he was at the playground with his daughter at about 8 p.m. A group of teenagers nearby was swearing loudly. By his account, he reprimanded them twice and approached them a third time. The group included an adult young man who, he says, aggressively advanced on him, and Rafiks admits he slapped the young man. He then says a teenage girl ran up with a knife and tried to hand it to the adult. He told her to put it down.
He claims the group surrounded him and his daughter and would not let them leave. Around 8:15 p.m. he asked the playground administration to call the police. After waiting half an hour he called again and was told to wait in the queue. About 40 minutes later he received a similar reply. His wife came to collect their daughter, while he stayed on. By about 10:10 p.m., he says, police had still not arrived.
He says playground staff told him this group of teenagers spends time there regularly. He urges parents to be vigilant at public playgrounds and plans to contact the police again.
