Communities attached to Lviv now have their own police officers. They have greater powers than district inspectors and are assigned to specific settlements. Their task is to ensure the protection of public order and crime prevention in the subordinate territory.
The work of police officers directly in communities is a joint project of the Lviv City Council and the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Lviv Region. Today, the executive committee of the LMR approved the corresponding program “Community Police Officer” for 2022-2027, which provides for co-financing of this project.
As Yuriy Lukashevskyi, director of the city agglomeration department of the LMR, said, 10 out of 12 community police officers are already working on a trial basis in the Lviv MTG. In general, the communities attached to Lviv are grouped into 4 blocks, which are assigned police officers. Thus, 5 police officers are assigned to Vinnyky, Lysynychy and Pidbirtsy, 3 to Dublyany and surrounding villages, 2 to Bryukhovychy and 2 more to Ryasne-Rusky and Rudno.
“Community police officers have a wider range of powers than district inspectors. They can stop cars, check compliance with traffic rules, issue fines. They spend the whole working day in their community: they go around the territory, communicate with people, monitor the observance of law and order, detect and prevent crimes. Community police officers should work closely with local authorities on issues such as zoning violations, illegal construction, illegal trade, etc. This experiment deserves attention, and there is great hope that it will become safer in our communities,” Yuriy Lukashevsky is convinced.
As Dmytro Mikhalets, deputy head of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Lviv region, added, the day before police officers underwent special training and work according to the standards of other countries. “Community police officers are universal police officers who cover all areas of work. It is not simple. But for this, they have undergone special training and work according to the standards of other countries – as sheriffs in communities,” explained Dmytro Mikhalets.
Community police officers remain on the staff of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Lviv region, while they are accountable to the community and coordinate their tasks and actions with the Lviv City Council. The city provides them with offices, stationery, office equipment, partly with fuel, etc. Even earlier, the city council bought 6 cars for them. The same number of cars should be provided by the Main Department of the National Police in the Lviv Region.
Earlier, the Lviv City Council and the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Lviv region signed a Memorandum, which provided for the creation of 12 positions of community police officers who will work in the communities attached to Lviv.