Kalinak Meets Roma Specialists, Measures in Works

Banska Bystrica, October 26 (TASR) – Vice-premier and Interior Minister Robert Kalinak and Police Corps President Tibor Gaspar held talks with Roma specialists in Banska Bystrica on Thursday on measures prepared by the Interior Ministry with respect to the crime rates in socially excluded Roma communities, TASR learnt on the same day.

As of next year, legislative, personnel and technical measures are to be implemented with an eye towards improving the security situation in problematic settlements and districts of Spisska Nova Ves (Kosice region), Rimavska Sobota, Revuca (both Banska Bystrica region) and Kosice-okolie (Kosice surroundings).

“We’ve been working intensively since the beginning of this year on comprehensive measures designed to address the issue of the crime rate in socially excluded Roma communities. In general, it can be stated that while the crime rate in Slovakia has been shrinking in recent years, the crime rates in these locations is either stagnant or on the rise,” said Kalinak.

According to the minister, Roma specialists are helping to maintain the situation at a sustainable level. While there were only 18 specialists a decade ago, there are now almost 300 of them.

Specific measures are to be unveiled by the ministry at the end of the year. Kalinak underlined that not every Roma settlement is problematic and that some settlements are engaged in cooperation with neighbouring villages and their inhabitants – especially if there are jobs available. Although every area displays its own specific features, usury, truancy and abuse of minors for criminal purposes are among the most frequently encountered problems in many locations.