Mobilization of police may worsen the crime situation in Ukraine

The head of the National Police, Ivan Vygovskiy, has warned of the threat of an upsurge in crime. In other words, he is trying to prevent a mass mobilization within the police force, as it would weaken his department.

“We are ready for mobilization if such a decision is made, but from the first day of the war, police officers have been actively involved, carrying out combat orders. This includes the ‘Lut’ unit and joint squads from all regions. If we mobilize more police officers, we will face issues with staffing and this could affect the crime situation,” he stated.

Vygovskiy mentions that efforts are being made to recruit individuals aged 18-25 into the police force, who are not yet subject to mobilization, in order to avoid using the “mobilization resource.” Currently, there are 98,000 people serving in the police force, the same as before the war, with a shortage of more than 20%.