Fuel Price Squeeze Results in Smaller Police Presence
Police are being forced to cut down their mobile patrol operations - in some cases by 30 percent - due to rising fuel prices, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
In 2010, the Police and Border Guard Board spent 1,425,682 euros on fuel for law enforcement vehicles - in 2011 that shot up by 115,000 euros. In the North Prefecture, which consists of Tallinn and the surrounding county, the distance covered by law enforcement patrols in recent years has decreased by about 33,000 kilometers, according to Postimees. In the West Prefecture, patrolling time has decreased by 10 percent annually for the past three years.
Scanty resources have forced law enforcement agencies to adopt austerity measures and conduct stricter planning. Mileage restrictions have been imposed on local constables, who are given an average 50 kilometer fuel limit per day to carry out all of their duties.
And although emergency calls won't go unanswered, even here responders are being more conscious of budget limitations, as they double check whether calls are genuine, avoid sending unneeded resources on the scene.
To some extent, new, more fuel-efficient vehicles have compensated for increasing fuel prices, according to the Interior Ministry. In 2011, police acquired 151 new vehicles, and another 266 purchases are planned for this year. Around 95 percent of the new vehicles have diesel engines, which means that, fuel is cheaper in summer (winter diesel currently costs more than regular gasoline), but the cost of the vehicles is around 10 percent higher.
Interior Minister Ken-Marti Vaher, who oversees law enforcement agencies, admitted that lacking resources have had a negative impact on the communities' sense of security.
To make up for the absence of regular law enforcement officials in communities, police are increasingly recruiting volunteer officers. Recently, the legal framework governing the rights and responsibilities of auxiliary police officers was rebuilt.
Ott Tammik