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Lukashenka outlines his vision of police reform

Alyaksandr Lukashenka outlined his vision of a coming police reform at a government conference in Minsk on November 15.

The Belarusian leader said that the main objective of the reform was to adapt the police to the current situation inside and around Belarus, according to the government’s news agency BelTA.

He called for simplifying the organizational structure of the interior ministry, removing overlapping functions and reducing the number of police personnel.

Mr. Lukashenka promised that there would be no cuts to police funding. “In other words, what you manage to save must and will be left at your disposal and will have to be distributed in accordance with your needs,” he was quoted as saying.

Mr. Lukashenka suggested cutting the number of officers in the transport police and transferring some officers from the organized crime unit to other criminal police units.

He also suggested relieving the police of the function to conduct expert examinations in criminal investigations. “That would rule out institutional influence and secure the independence of experts. That would make investigations more impartial and help observe the legal rights and interests of our citizens more fully,” he said. //BelaPAN