Bratislava faces police problem

There are simply not enough police officers in the Slovak capital and authorities are on the lookout for solutions

A well trained and well-maintained police force is crucial to ensuring the safety and prosperity of any community. That is the inescapable reality that every city faces, and the Slovakian capital of Bratislava is no exception to the rule.

Yet the city has been struggling with properly taking care of its police officers, which has resulted in a severe reduction in the number of personnel at hand. Long term understaffing is among the main chronic problems for the municipal police force according to the local police chief as quoted by spectator.sme.sk.

Local authorities are very well aware of the problem – in February 2019, the mayor of Bratislava Matus Vallo even stated that “We cannot continue to accept that in Bratislava, even at its very centre, there are no-go zones where it is better not to go at all or to just pass through.”. Since then the municipality has been frantically looking for solutions to solve the local police force’s staffing problem.

Problems and fixes

Currently, the Bratislava municipal police force amounts to 250 persons. Yet the city needs at least 400 officers, or even better – 500, according to the local police chief.

The first step that the municipality is taking to attract new potential employees has been an increase to the base salary of officers – it now stands at 900 euros and is also accompanied by numerous other benefits and extra accommodations. This measure was launched last October and aimed to increase the number of police officers by at least 50.

Other measures undertaken by the city council include an increase to the local police force’s city budget share by an additional 1 million euros and the establishment of a new police station in the city. Authorities have also begun increasing the number of cameras around the urban area in order to assist the struggling police force.