More money and reforms fail to improve police crime fighting statistics

According to the Supreme Board of Inspection (NIK), the reforms being implemented in the police force have failed to bring any improvements in security in the country. NIK asserts that about 70% of the extra money allocated to policing went into remunerating officers and very little of the money went into actual crime prevention. The scandalously little money allocated for fuel and spare parts for police cars, coupled with the low salaries of junior officers was adversely affecting the effectiveness of policing in the country. The reduction of staff in the criminal departments by 15% also meant that the police rate of solving crimes is falling. Police headquarters however, believes that two years of reform is too short a period to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of the new changes. (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 7) S.M.