On Tuesday, the government approved Armands Ruks for another term as Chief of the State Police (VP).
Ruks was first appointed to the position on the 13th of October 2020. Before becoming Chief, he served as the head of the Criminal Investigation Board within the State Police’s Main Criminal Police Department and previously held various senior positions within the department.
In 2011, Ruks earned a master’s degree in law from the Latvian Police Academy.
His new term as Chief of the State Police will last until the 13th of October 2030.
According to Latvian law, the Chief of the State Police is appointed for a five-year term by the Minister of the Interior, with the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers.
Although the “Progressives” party, part of the ruling coalition, had initially requested a one-week delay to further question Ruks, it was later announced that all coalition partners had agreed to support his reappointment immediately.
In 2020, Ruks was chosen for the position by then-Minister of the Interior Sandis Ģirģens, who at the time represented the now-defunct party “KPV LV.” Ruks was not among the three candidates who officially applied for the position in the public competition.
It is possible that this summer, Ruks’ deputy, General Andrejs Grišins—currently head of the Main Criminal Police Department—may retire. Grišins has held this post since 2013, and previously served as head of the Riga Regional Police Department.