Latvian State Police Wraps Up Project to Combat Serious Crime

The Latvian State Police has announced the conclusion of a project launched in July 2024 aimed at strengthening police capacities against serious, organized, and cross-border crime. The project ran until June 30 of this year.

Under the project, two international meetings were held, bringing together heads of homicide investigation units from various countries, each with over 50 participants. One meeting focused on innovative and tactical solutions for preventing and detecting cross-border homicides, while the other addressed the impact of new technologies on crime, youth recruitment, and the phenomena of "crime as a service" and "violence as a service."

An international conference on combating organized crime was also organized, emphasizing challenges in prosecuting leaders of organized groups who do not personally commit crimes. The information gathered will be used to propose amendments to Latvia's Criminal Code.

Another activity involved a comprehensive study on the availability of narcotic and psychotropic substances among young people, including their circulation and accessibility in educational institutions. The study will serve as a foundation for future drug prevention efforts.

In collaboration with the State Police College, 15 specialized training sessions were conducted, attended by over 500 participants. Training covered six thematic areas: canine handling and person search, digital intelligence and OSINT, cryptocurrency and digital evidence investigation, covert surveillance and operational activities, tactical preparedness, and work with specialized technical equipment.

New technical equipment was acquired to improve the collection, recording, and analysis of evidence. The total budget was €1,922,000, with €1,441,500 from the EU Internal Security Fund and €480,500 from the state budget.