New commander of the Luhačovice MP: "In the spa town, officers often serve as a living information centre."

I have been working for the MP for thirteen years now, first I was employed by the town of Kunovice for eight years and then by the town of Uherský Brod for five years.

What brought you to this kind of work?

I decided to do it after I left the forestry services business in 2006 after three years and responded to an advertisement for a job as a constable. It was published in the regional daily newspaper in Kunovice. At that time there was a great interest in the job from the public. After three rounds of the selection process, only two of the 15 applicants were selected.

Was such a job perhaps also a childhood dream come true?

Yes, if I think back to my childhood years, I also had a period when I wanted to be a policeman.

Why did you decide to apply for the post of commander of the Luhačovice MP?

The position of Commander, I consider as a natural progression and application of my knowledge and skills acquired so far. I have responded to the call that was posted on the city's website. I didn't know anyone from the office or the local MP or the competitors who applied at the time. I live in Strání.

Can you compare working for the MP in, say, Uh. Brod and Luhačovice?

No matter which city I worked in, it is a demanding and responsible job. However, Uherský Brod, due to its size, has different job specifics than Luhačovice. In Brod, the work of a police officer is greatly influenced by social pathologies such as homelessness, alcoholism, drug addiction and disorder. I have regularly met persons enjoying these disadvantages of life. For those who let themselves be told and wanted to live a normal life, there is a social program set up by the city and contributing organizations that offers solutions. For those who did not take the hint and violated the legal norms all the time, there was often no way out and they became the objects of our work. The solution then varied according to the situation, often it was enough to evict the person from the place or hand him over to the Police of the Czech Republic, in rare cases the transfer to the Alcohol Detention Centre in Kroměříž.

It is fortunately quite different in our spa town, isn't it?

The town of Luhačovice has a different specificity, I mean the spa industry and the services connected with it. The status of the largest spa town in Moravia brings thousands of visitors to the town every year. They meet officers in the streets and they often serve as a lively information centre. At this time of year, tourism in the town is minimal. With the presence of the first rays of sunshine after winter, the traffic will start to increase day by day and thus, beyond the standard activities we carry out, the demand for the services of the municipal police on the streets of the city from visitors will start to increase.

And for you the city is new....

I have been an employee of the Luhačovice Municipal Police since the beginning of the year, less than two months. During that time I wanted to get to know as much local public order issues as possible. Every day I am on the streets of the city and expand my local knowledge. I communicate with the citizens, the city management and my colleagues. I am approached by visitors to the city or tourists wanting directions or advice. I'm interested in their requests and insights towards our activities.

Many perceive that you help people, oversee public order, watch over the safety of children when they go to school, for example. But others perceive that you mainly give drivers tickets for bad parking. So you have to deal with a lot of negative reactions, don't you?

The job of a municipal police officer is physically, mentally and morally demanding. An important factor is that our personality is not slowly diminished by negative public reaction. Trying not to perceive people's anger, but focusing on the good positive things should balance out the unpleasant ones in our minds. Therefore, a helpful, reasonable and fair approach from our side should be the basis for this.

What do you consider to be your main task as the head of MP Luhacovice, where would you like to move its functioning in the coming years?

I have developed a concept of our work from management to direct performance of the service on the street, so far it is a series of proposals and solutions where it should be directed. First, however, I need to know in detail the needs of the founder, the citizens and the Luhačovice Municipal Police itself. I do not forget about the little ones in my work, we have already arranged lectures in the local after-school club and, after agreement with Mr Lebloch, in the primary school as part of crime prevention.

Would you like to tell the citizens in your new position something else?

I would like to publicly thank on behalf of the entire collective of the municipal police my predecessor and the first commander of the Luhačovice MP Bc. Vlastimil Červenka for his exemplary work dedicated to the citizens and officers throughout the many years of practice in the field of public order. We wish him

lots of

more wins in

his favourite

courses and much success in his future life.

Categories: News from the city, Luhačovice, City of Luhačovice, Interview, Municipal police