Latvia Transport Minister Rihards Kozlovskis says police discipline problems are not systemic

Transport Minister Rihards Kozlovskis told Latvia's "Rīta panorāma" programme that recent incidents involving police officers are isolated cases and do not indicate a systemic disciplinary issue within the State Police. He noted that annual arrests in Latvia total around 3,000 and that the number of disciplinary and administrative violations by police has actually fallen, with a one‑third reduction during the tenure of Police Chief Armand Ruk.

Kozlovskis said there is no need for Ruk to resign but acknowledged that the interior minister, Jānis Dombrava, has the authority to request a service inspection. He referenced recent events: a drunk police officer in Priekule fatally stabbed a man during a city celebration, and a female officer who, while intoxicated, caused a traffic accident and later hid at home. Both incidents have led to arrests and internal investigations.