Education and Science, Latvia, Legislation

As reported, Murniece had previously given Interior Ministry State Secretary Ilze Petersone the task to draw up a plan of action on the liquidation of the Latvian Police Academy.

It was planned that the Police Academy will be liquidated by the 2010/2011 school year.

LETA was informed by the head of the Interior Ministry's public relations department Sintija Virse previously, that Murniece had also given the Police Academy's Rector Vitolds Zahars to carry out all the necessary measures, so that no new students are enrolled in the academy for the next school year.

It was previously announced that those students who are currently enrolled will not be affected, as they will be able to finish their studies at the academy.

The Interior Ministry has come to the conclusion that the Police Academy has not justified its goals, because most of the students studying at the academy are studying law, and are not suitable for actual police work. Only a small portion of the students work in interior structures after they graduate. Most of the students go to work into the private sector.

Furthermore, there are many institutions of higher learning in Latvia where students can study law, that is why it has been decided that it is too expensive to fund the Police Academy, only to have its students leave to work in the private sector.

Last year, the Interior Ministry spent LVL 2.5 million in funding the Latvian Police Academy. Murniece believes that this money could better be used is paying wages for police officers, so that would not be laid off. Furthermore, in liquidating the academy, is is planned to strengthen the work of the Latvian Police College, Virse explained.