Police officers who commit intentional criminal offences should lose their right to receive a service pension, Latvia’s State Police Chief Armands Ruks said in an interview with TV3’s 900 sekundes on Friday.
Ruks said he intends to push for legislative amendments that would introduce such a measure.
He also argued that an exception should be made to current patient confidentiality rules regarding annual medical examinations of police officers. According to Ruks, if medical professionals identify health issues that could affect an officer’s ability to perform their duties—including suspected substance addictions—that information should be shared with police management. At present, such information cannot be disclosed because of patient privacy regulations.
His comments come after Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava ordered an internal service investigation into Ruks following two recent criminal incidents involving off-duty police officers who were under the influence of alcohol.
At the same time,
Ruks has launched an internal audit to assess the State Police’s existing control systems
and disciplinary oversight mechanisms, while also seeking additional measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
As previously reported, an off-duty police officer allegedly fatally assaulted a teacher during a public festival in Priekule last weekend while intoxicated. In a separate incident on Wednesday, a police employee was detained near Aizkraukle after allegedly causing a road traffic accident while under the influence of alcohol and fleeing the scene.
Following the Priekule tragedy, the State Police will introduce mandatory alcohol testing for officers whose duties require them to carry a service firearm and drive a police vehicle. The measure is intended as a preventive step to strengthen internal discipline and public trust in the force.
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