Bulgarian Police Say Common Crime Ops Is Huge Success
Crime | February 13, 2014, Thursday // 11:54| viewsThe Director of Bulgaria's Main Directorate National Police, Todor Grebenarov, photo Radio Plovdiv
Bulgarian police has proudly announced Thursday a massive reduction of crime since the launch of its special operation at the start of the week.
The announcement was made by the Director of the Main Directorate National Police, Todor Grebenarov, in his very first interview since he was appointed at the post.
Speaking for the public radio, BNR, Grebenarov said that in the course of 3 days 300 common crimes have been solved; 62 speedy pre-trial proceedings have been launched; 520 individuals and 460 vehicles have been checked, which has led to the reduction of crime rate in smaller towns and villages or even to the total lack of criminal incidents.
The police chief further stated that the special operation will take place as long as needed responding to fears that after his subordinates leave these locations the thieves will return.
Regarding recent house robberies in the affluent Sofia suburb of Dragalevtsi, including the homes of a socialist lawmaker and of prominent former tennis coach Yuliya Berberyan, Grebenarov stressed that Sofia police has enough staff to handle the problem on its own. He added that the same is valid in case of street protests, when the special security guard unit housed in the capital could also help.
Grebenarov further informed of stepped-up control of facilities dealing with the purchase of scrap metal and of pawn shops.
Bulgaria's Interior Ministry launched Monday morning a much acclaimed and purported special police operation to tackle common crime.
The operation, involving police and gendarmerie's redirection to locations in the country where common crime is highest, was announced a week ago and ordered last Sunday by the Chief Secretary of the Interior Ministry, Chief Commissar, Svetlozar Lazarov.
The locations covered by the action are mainly villages and small towns in 15 regions plagued by common crime. The crime rate is the highest in the regions of Vidin, Vratsa, Montana, Pleven and Sofia Region.
The action aims to put an end on the increasing incidents with household crime, theft and robberies.
The gendarmerie and police teams from the national directorates are joined by traffic police units and regional police units. A Number of police officers who were recently sent to the Bulgarian-Turkish border to help border police prevent the illegal immigrants' influx were also relocated. The fuel limit for police cruisers in the designated regions was increased.
Also on Monday, police employees started regular meetings with local authorities in the said regions.
Back