Newly Formed Criminal Police Service to Launch in October, Says Deputy Minister of Interior

As part of the police sector reform efforts, several significant achievements have been made, including the establishment of the Criminal Police Service, which will commence operations in October. This was announced by Arpine Sargsyan, Deputy Minister of Interior, during a public discussion on the draft strategic program for police reforms from 2024 to 2026, in an interview with an Armenpress correspondent.

“We have made several important achievements within the framework of police sector reforms. A crucial institution has been established: the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which serves as a policymaking body for the sector, and various efforts have been undertaken within the police sector,” noted Sargsyan, providing an overall assessment of the police reform agenda and the ongoing reform process so far.

She also added that the Operational Management Center has fully encompassed all regions of the Republic, as have the aforementioned services. “We have implemented significant changes in the educational sector regarding retraining, and we have conducted preparatory work for the establishment of the Criminal Police Service, with a competition announced that allowed the participation of civilians,” Sargsyan mentioned, adding that retraining is currently underway in the educational complex, resulting in the service’s launch in October.

The Deputy Minister also informed that currently, 1800 community police officers are being retrained in the context of combating domestic violence, which will be followed by a second phase of retraining. She emphasized that alongside all this, many other programs for retraining and reform are being carried out, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs continues to work towards their implementation.