63 Safety Officers Start Working in Tbilisi to Prevent crimes
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, December 5
The Georgian Interior Ministry has reported that 63 public safety officers, who will replace district officers to prevent crimes, have started their activities in the Vake-Saburtalo district of central Tbilisi.
The ministry says that they will have 365 of such officers selected from the current staff or via open competitions to cover all districts in Tbilisi and the regions.
The institution of public order officers is aimed at community-oriented approaches and policing and has been created within the Systemic Renovation Reform of the Interior Ministry.
Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia addressed the officers on Tuesday, saying that they will have to perform the most significant role to strengthen the bridge between the public and law enforcers, become friends of the families in their-monitored districts and prevent possible crimes.
Gakharia stated in December 2017 that the criminal police should become more effective and should react more rapidly to the challenges that society faces nowadays.
Describing the criminal police reform project, Gakharia said that several important segments should have been separated from each other.
"Firstly, this implies the strengthening of investigative components”, he said, adding that the detectives' division should stand independently.
Secondly, he said that the institution of a public safety officer should be detached.
The ministry reported in October this year that 40 other public safety officers are training to join the 63 in the coming months.
