Since July, assistant police officers (abipolitseinikud) have been authorized to use radar to measure speed, although only police officers can issue fines. While current legislation permits volunteer police officers to assist solely in maintaining public order, the proposed legislative amendment would allow them to take on a much broader range of responsibilities.

"Estonia is a country with a relatively low number of police officers; it's a country where the need for a sense of security among the public is very high, and therefore we need the help of volunteers to maintain that security," said Roger Kumm, head of the Ida-Harju Police Department.

According to Kumm, the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) has several tasks that volunteers could handle, such as assisting in border surveillance or helping to process identification documents.

But could a volunteer police officer, for example, perform the duties of a criminal investigator?

"Yes, if they have the necessary qualifications. It depends on additional competencies. Most criminal investigators must have a limited state secret clearance, and volunteer police officers must meet the same requirements," Kumm explained.

However, the proposed changes to the Assistant Police Officer Act aren't the only ones. A draft bill that has already passed the coordination round would transfer some police responsibilities to the municipal police (MuPo), such as the authority to conduct sobriety checks. According to Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets (SDE), this is part of a system overhaul.

"Talking about granting powers to local governments, it makes a lot of sense. I doubt anyone in Estonia believes it makes sense for the police to drive 40 kilometers just to wake up someone who has fallen asleep on a bus stop bench – this can easily be handled by a municipal law enforcement officer," Läänemets said.

The minister emphasized that the police should only respond to situations where lives are at risk or where more significant public order enforcement is required. There has also been discussion about allowing volunteer police officers to carry out some procedural tasks, such as drafting reports.

"When we talk about measuring speeds, the corresponding report could also be prepared by a volunteer police officer. If today, an assistant police officer is patrolling with a police officer, and the police officer has to handle everything, we might ask what is the point of having the assistant officer there in the first place?" Läänemets remarked.

Estonia has nearly 1,100 assistant police officers who between them put in work hours equivalent to 70 full-time police officers last year.

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