Police chief Jaroslav Spisiak has announced a shake-up of the Slovak police force, which will see a new organisational structure put in place and a performance-based system of remuneration introduced.
Spisiak believes the new system will boost the performance of police officers, and that it will be fairer because, in his opinion, the system is deformed in favour of the likes of commanding officers and not the police officers who do the real work.
Reforming the police force is an ambitious step and one that has already met with opposition and negative responses. Spisiak says the system to date was a “relic of communism”, which has provided nothing positive.
Former chief of police Jan Packa feels the new system will be met with scepticism and even opposition. He says the police are just like everyone else, and that they do not like change. Spisiak believes the new system will motivate police officers to work more effectively, however.
Packa said critically that the system had to be put to the test of time, adding that the results should be looked at in about six months and compared to the system now before it can be called a good system.