Today, the Minister of Internal Affairs Jüri Pihl presented the report on the realisation of the main objectives of security policy until 2015 in 2008 to the Riigikogu. In his report, the Minister of Internal Affairs observed that, in 2008, the police had been more visible for people and had reacted more effectively. “The capacity of police patrols allows for a stable daily supply of 85 patrols which enabled the police to be visible,” said Pihl. The Minister claimed that, according to public opinion polling, the fear of street crime among people has dropped to 13 per cent of the population which shows that the sense of security is growing. The number of detected crimes increased by more than 3000 when compared to 2007. Pihl noted that prevention and good cooperation between the police and local governments and other partners like neighbourhood watch had had positive impact on increasing the security. “The prevention and proceeding of the offences relating to children and the protection of their life and health has been the top priority in the activities of the police over the years,” added Pihl. As an example, he referred to the cooperation with child protection officials and social welfare officials as well as with the Ministry of Education and Research.

When speaking about traffic safety, the Minister of Internal Affairs pointed out that there the objective of security policy had been to reduce the number of deaths and injuries, to reduce property damages and to improve road traffic culture. Pihl: “In 2008, 132 people died in traffic, which is the lowest number in the last 56 years.”
In his report, Pihl also spoke about increasing of fire safety, a decline in criminal offences against property, the responsibilities of the state in the prevention of other accidents endangering human life and health, and about ensuring of the safety and security of the state.
Comments were presented by Members of the Riigikogu Kalle Laanet, Mart Nutt, Karel Rüütli, Marek Strandberg and Hanno Pevkur.
 
On the motion of the Legal Affairs Committee as the leading committee, the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Police Service Act, the Defence Forces Service Act, the Border Guard Service Act, the Prosecutor’s Office Act, the Courts Act, the Chancellor of Justice Act, the National Audit Office Act, the Members of the XII Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia and of the VII, VIII and IX Riigikogu Pension Act, the President of the Republic Official Benefits Act, the State Pension Insurance Act and the Public Service Act (375 SE), initiated by Hanno Pevkur, Urmas Reinsalu and Hannes Rumm, was concluded. The Bill is intended for reorganising the bases for payment of state special pensions. According to the Bill, a person who receives special pension will lose the right to special pension if he or she is convicted of an intentionally committed offence against the state or against honesty which is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years. The Bill concerns the persons who receive occupational pension on the basis of the Police Service Act, the Defence Forces Service Act, the Courts Act, the Chancellor of Justice Act and the National Audit Office Act. In the case of an offence against the state or against honesty, a Member of Parliament will also lose the right to the old-age pension for Members of Parliament. The President will lose the right to occupational pension if his or her term of office is terminated due to the entry into force of a judgment convicting him or her of a criminal offence. In the case of conviction, the spouse of the President will lose his or her official benefits, that is, the right to have a secretary at his or her disposal, to use an official car and services related to the maintenance and use thereof, to receive a monthly representation allowance to cover the representation costs the amount of which is 30 per cent of the salary of the President, and to receive a benefit for travel costs and other justified expenses.
The Bill was sent to the third reading.
 
 
The Riigikogu Press Service
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