Kalinak: 4,120 Police Officers Provided EU Summit Security

Bratislava, September 19 (TASR) – No major security problems or transport collapse occurred during Friday’s (September 16) informal EU summit in Bratislava, Interior Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) and Police Corps President Tibor Gaspar told a news conference in Bratislava on Monday.

Twenty-one minor crimes were committed in Bratislava region on that day, which is well below the average.

The police registered only a couple of incidents in connection with the summit. These included a drone flying in the vicinity of Bratislava airport guided by a 39-year-old Bratislava resident. “The man was taken to a police station, where he provided an explanation and was subsequently released,” said Kalinak.

An Austrian citizen was found to be transporting a shotgun including 200 cartridges through the Jarovce border crossing between Austria and Slovakia without the required documents. He later claimed to be a sports shooter. “We examined the individual circumstances, and the man was allowed to continue on his journey,” stated Kalinak.

The police also checked a veiled woman on Hviezdoslav Square. She turned to be a journalist being filmed by her colleague from a distance of several metres.

As many as 4,120 police officers and 300 soldiers took part in Friday’s security measures, stated the Interior Ministry. The summit required the deployment of 421 police cars, 16 buses, nine motorbikes, three lorries, three armoured vehicles, three helicopters, 34 river vessels and ten pieces of firefighting equipment.