Bulgarian Top Cop Lauds 2011 Police Work

Deputy Prime Minister, and Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, is pleased with the work of Bulgarian police in 2011. Photo by BGNES

The criminal contingent in Bulgaria is already known to authorities, says Deputy Prime Minister, and Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

Tsvetanov spoke Monday at the national meeting of the Interior Ministry, held in the central city of Veliko Tarnovo.

He explained that 299 leaders of organized crime groups have been registered in 2011. Pre-trail proceedings have been launched against 238 of them, 119 have been detained at one point or another, while 20 have been sentenced.

The Minister further stressed that contract murders and armed robberies are on the decline along with the percentage of cases returned to the police for additional investigation.

Tsvetanov assessed police work for 2011 as "positive" and promised that police chiefs will be held directly responsible for cases of police brutality. He noted that 160 policemen have been fired in 2 years for applying excessive force.

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