A meeting between representatives of the National Police Service and Romani Baht Foundation

Press Center and Public Relations Directorate, The government, the Ministry of Interior and Romani Baht Foundation reached a bargain for a 24-hour police presence in Krasna Polyana and Faculteta districts.

Press Center and Public Relations Directorate

A meeting between representatives of the General Directorate "Police" at the National Police Service and Romani Baht Foundation was held today.

To prevent further incidents the enhanced police presence will continue around the metropolitan district of Faculteta until necessary. Further steps will be taken to improve the dialogue and the cooperation between the citizens and the police, as well as to quickly and efficiently solve the emerging problems.

A meeting between representatives of the General Directorate "Police" and the Roma community from the metropolitan district of Faculteta was held this afternoon on the initiative of the National Police Service and Romani Baht Foundation. The goal was to throw light on the issues and to bring under control the social tensions in the district, the General Directorate "Police" announced. The representatives at the meeting were commissar Milcho Enev from Security Police Department at the Chief Directorate "Combating Crime, Protection of Public Order and Crime Prevention", personnel from the Metropolitan Police Directorate and Third District Police Department at the Metropolitan Police Directorate and the Head of the Directorate for Ethnic Minority and Demographic Issues at the Council of Ministers – Maya Cholakova.

Leaders and representatives of the Roma community laid out specific issues in relation to the protection of public order and the security of the people from Faculteta district. The intention to continue the enhanced police presence around the district until it is necessary in order to prevent further incidents was emphasized at the meeting. Efforts will be made to improve the dialogue and the cooperation between the citizens and the police, as well as to quickly and efficiently solve the emerging problems.

Enhanced police presence will be provided around and in proximity to vulnerable places around the district and in the capital in general – the stops from the public transportation system and the beverage shops. The aim is to prevent any instigations towards citizens regardless of their ethnic origin and nationality. Monthly meetings of the leaders and representatives of the Roma comunity with the personnel of the respective directorates at the National Police Service will be held. The possibility to create a special centre in Faculteta district, which will receive signals from citizens, was also discussed.

Both sides agreed to control the tensions as soon as possible.

The government, the Ministry of Interior and Romani Baht Foundation reached a bargain for a 24-hour police presence in Krasna Polyana and Faculteta districts.

The Ministry of Interior has agreed to provide a 24-hour police presence in Krasna Polyana and Faculteta districts. More attention will be paid to "vulnerable" spots – terminal stops of the public transportation system, catering shops and others. To provide better maintenance of public order police centres will be created in those districts.

This was negotiated at a meeting with representatives from the Directorate for Ethnic Minority and Demographic Issues at the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Interior and the Roma community. The meeting was hosted by the non-governmental foundation Romani Baht, the government administration announced.

Each month representatives of the administration, police and non-governmental organizations will hold meetings to exchange information, to present the measures that have been undertaken and to acknowledge the results.

As "Za Grada" announced earlier, the participants at the meeting noted that in Krasna Polyana there was a "provocative behaviour towards the Roma community" and some media aggravated the tensions.