Last year, former police chief Ints Ķuzis stepped down from his post. Since then, there has been a competition with three possible candidates, but at the beginning of October, Interior Minister Sandis Ģirģens suggested Armands Ruks for the position outside the competition.
Ruks has worked in a secret police department for many years, but since July, he has been the head of the State Police Criminal Investigation Board.
“I have highlighted several priorities. One of the main things I see is the question of strengthening human resources. There is a catastrophic shortage in some regions, particularly in the region of Rīga. And this, of course, affects both the quality and quantity of investigations. This needs to be addressed immediately.
Also, the optimization of internal processes. One of the main issues is to avoid duplication of tasks, to strengthen the criminal police. However, I believe that the work of the criminal police should be considered as a priority, because the criminal police is dealing with criminal offences that have a significant impact on people and have more serious consequences,”
At the meeting of the government, the Interior Minister said that Ruks was a suitable candidate for office because he had experience in police work and was a teacher at the academy. The Minister wants to modernize police college, as well as the lift police prestige. He said he can see that Ruks can do it.
