Interior minister unveils new plan inspired by Spain to fight crime and improve public safety

At a press conference yesterday, Interior Minister Marek Biernacki unveiled a new crime prevention program for Poland, based on a similar program implemented earlier by Spain that has proved successful at reducing crime. The Spanish model for Poland's program focused on fighting common kinds of crime, including theft, assault and robbery, and in the course of three years has allowed Spanish law enforcement agencies to cut crime by 13%. Biernacki says the program he is suggesting introducing will aim at combating crime in 17 major cities across the country. This will be achieved primarily by boosting the number of street patrols, coupled with stricter officer supervision, while monetary rewards would also serve as additional incentive to improve police performance, he said. (Zycie, p.1,5) A.Z.