On 8 February, the Cabinet of Ministers endorsed the conceptual report “On Improving the Education System for Law Enforcement Officials” developed by the Ministry of the Interior, which envisages the establishment of a consortium “Internal Security Academy” (ISA) between the Ministry of the Interior, the State Police College, Riga Stradiņš University and the University of Latvia. The Consortium's infrastructure development plans include the construction of a new classroom building at Ezermalas 8a and a complex of 10 buildings.
Minister Marija Golubeva: The aim of the Internal Security Academy is to create a modern, continuous education model that meets the requirements of law enforcement agencies, the interests of society and the implementation of lifelong learning. It will foster the development of knowledge, methods and innovation, as well as the implementation of studies based on science and excellence in the training of highly qualified professionals in the field of security and combating crime.”
The Consortium's formal education study programmes are planned to train potential and current specialists of the State Police, State Border Guard, Prison Administration, Military Police, Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau, State Revenue Service, State Fire and Rescue Service, Office of the Prosecutor General and Internal Security Bureau.
The need to reform the education system is characterized by the increasing demands on the professional competences of internal security functionaries, including the complexity of detecting and investigating offences, which requires law enforcement officers to be able to make correct and legally reasoned decisions regarding the identification of the alleged perpetrator, the conduct of criminal proceedings and the sufficiency of evidence, which in turn determines the quality and effectiveness of criminal investigations.
The concept provides for the possibility to develop scientific research in areas related to internal security and law enforcement (including police law), to develop new, unique professional study programmes to be implemented jointly with consortium partners, attracting the best specialists in the field, as well as lecturers from foreign specialized universities, as well as to ensure an effective internal quality control system.
Within the framework of the reform, it is planned to establish a lifelong learning model for pre-trial investigators and operatives by creating an Investigators' Training Centre within the State Police College, the aim of which will be to improve the quality of pre-trial investigation and operative work by ensuring continuous further education and professional qualification development in accordance with the lifelong learning principle and interdisciplinary approach to training for State Police and other law enforcement officials conducting pre-trial investigations.
The IDA is expected to improve the quality of pre-trial investigations and other police performance indicators, as well as enhance workforce productivity, flexibility, adaptability to change and rapid changes in technology and security.
This is in line with the National Security Concept, which calls for further strengthening of the capacity of law enforcement institutions specifically in the field of investigations through an appropriate human resources policy, including by investing in salaries, education and professional development of the relevant staff.
The responsible institution for the implementation of the conceptual report, the Ministry of the Interior, shall, by 1 June 2022, ensure the conclusion of a consortium agreement between the parties involved, providing that an integral part of the consortium agreement is a memorandum of understanding to be concluded by the parties for each financial year, stipulating the average number of study places for that financial year and the corresponding amount of funding according to the State Budget Law for the current year.
The budget allocated to the Ministry of Interior for provision of education will be used to the amount of EUR 950 million for the design of the new educational building and the development and licensing of study programmes.
The construction and equipment of the building will require additional funding from the national budget of €3.7 million in 2023, €18.4 million in 2024, €20.2 million in 2025 and €0.7 million in 2026.
Additional budgetary resources will be needed to train specialists for law enforcement. The amount of funding depends on the number of study places and the normative amount of state budget funds per study place for the given year. Indicatively, this could range from €2.7 million in the first year of IDA operation to €6.5 million from 2027 onwards.
The issue of allocation of additional state budget funds for training of specialists and establishment of appropriate infrastructure for IDA is to be considered by the Cabinet of Ministers in the process of preparation and consideration of draft laws on the state budget for the coming years and medium-term, together with applications for priority measures submitted by all ministries and central state institutions, according to the financial possibilities of the state budget.