Ruks: Police officers guilty of intentional crimes should lose service pension
Latvian State Police chief Armands Ruks has proposed stripping police officers who commit intentional crimes of their service pensions. He also wants medical checks to reveal possible addictions to police leadership.
The head of the Latvian State Police, Armands Ruks, said on Friday on TV3's “900 sekundes” that officers who commit deliberate offences should no longer be entitled to a service pension. He suggested such legislative changes could be submitted for approval.
Ruks also believes an exception should be created so that the police leadership can be informed about health issues found during annual medical examinations that may affect an officer's ability to serve, including possible addiction problems. Currently, due to patient rights regulations, this information is not shared with police management.
The remarks come after Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava ordered a service inspection of Ruks, following two incidents in which police officers committed criminal offences while intoxicated outside working hours. Ruks has in turn ordered an internal audit to review the existing control system and disciplinary mechanisms and to find additional ways to prevent similar cases.
Over the weekend, an off-duty drunk police officer fatally beat a teacher during a public celebration in Priekule. On Wednesday, in the Aizkraukle area, a female police employee was detained after causing a car accident while under the influence of alcohol and fleeing the scene.
In the wake of the Priekule tragedy, police plan to carry out alcohol tests as a preventive measure. The tests will apply to officers who are required to use a service weapon or drive service vehicles.
