Sutaj Estok: 1,600 People Applied to Join Police in First Month of Recruitment

Bratislava, April 11 (TASR) - In the first month of the recruitment campaign, 1,600 people applied to join the police force, whereas the last year the total number stood at 4,500, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) announced at a press conference at the Police Academy in the presence of Deputy Police President Rastislav Polakovic on Friday. So far, Sutaj Estok considers the campaign a success. “I want to send a clear message to all the critics that we definitely haven’t lowered the bar. On the contrary, the physical tests remain demanding, but they also reflect today’s reality —because nowadays it’s probably not essential whether a police officer can do 10 or 15 pull-ups. There are other important physical disciplines,” said the minister. The minister and deputy police president also denied any plans to change the psychological assessment component of the tests. “No one would dare reduce the standards of psychological testing these days. We’ve had many cases that resonated with the public, and it’s absolutely inappropriate to lower the criteria in this category,” assured Polakovic. According to the minister, police work is demanding not only physically but also mentally. “If you want to be a police officer, you must be mentally as well as emotionally equipped for the job,” he said. Sutaj Estok also announced that the ministry is working on changing other entry requirements for joining the police force. According to him, issues such as allergies and wearing prescription glasses have been problematic. Polakovic pointed out that many young people today suffer from allergies. There have also been updates to how tattoos are evaluated. “A lot of young people have tattoos, and that should not be a disqualification from becoming a police officer. Of course, the tattoo must be located in an appropriate place and must not undermine the image of the police force,” explained the vice president. The recruitment campaign 'Become a Police Officer' is carried out on behalf for the ministry by the company Good Rutt's. The campaign costs the ministry nearly €140,000. The goal is to help address the personnel shortage in the police force, which, according to Sutaj Estok, is currently lacking about 3,700 officers. mf