Kalinak: First Gendarmerie Patrols Have Begun Service across Slovakia

Malacky, 12 December (TASR) - The first gendarmerie patrols began service across Slovakia on Friday evening, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) and Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) stated at a press conference in Malacky (Bratislava region), adding that during their first shift, seven patrols were deployed, including two in Malacky, one in Banovce nad Bebravou (Trencin region), two in Kapusany (Presov region), and another two in Slovenska Lupca (Banska Bystrica region). "To date, more than 1,100 professional soldiers and more than 250 police officers who are on active duty have signed up, as well as more than additional 200 police officers who have recently retired from active duty. We are also interested in more of them to come. To date, we've trained more than 340 active gendarmes, who will gradually be deployed to individual services," said Kalinak. Sutaj Estok explained that gendarmes will operate under the leadership of the police, emphasising that similar units also exist in other countries. "It is one of the pieces of the security architecture mosaic in Slovakia. It is the Police Corps, it is the gendarmes, and today we're also in intensive discussions with representatives of city and municipal police forces to significantly strengthen their powers," he said. am