Czech city may hire ethnic Ukrainian police aides

The city of Jihlava in the Czech Republic intends to introduce positions of “Ukrainian” police aides who would assist law enforcers in crime prevention.

This was reported by Radio Prague International, Ukrinform saw.

Mayor Petr Ryška expressed his expectation that the assistants would be able to help the police reach out better to Jihlava's large Ukrainian community and help establish greater trust in law enforcement.

"We have four positions for Roma aides, and we want to attract two more Ukrainians," the mayor said.

In this regard, the City Council will apply for funding to establish the new positions. If suitable candidates are found, Ryška suggested, they could get to work as early as next spring.

According to the mayor's office, about 7,000 Ukrainians currently live in Jihlava, a city of 50,000. "There is a fairly large diaspora here, with whom certain issues arise, and we think that we could become a little closer to them," the mayor said.

At the same time, the official believes it is not important how long potential applicants have lived in the city. "It is important for me that such a candidate is the best of those who could help us," Ryška emphasized.

As Radio Prague International specifies, crime prevention aides work alongside the police, helping them maintain public order and run crime prevention awareness campaigns.

As reported, the leader of a racketeering gang was arrested in the Czech capital, Prague, suspected of extorting money from residents of Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region.