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Some advantage
– He has already shown that he is a man of his word, as promised when he gave his first interview in Kaunas, “Kaunas Day”. Therefore, I would like to know what is your program in this position, the minimum and the maximum.
– It is difficult to answer this question so far. Just the beginning. (The conversation took place on the thirteenth day of his working day in Kaunas – Aut. Past). Like I said, until I warm up my legs normally, I won’t be able to name it exactly. I’m an analyst in principle, so I have to analyze everything first. My first job so far is to meet with all the department heads, the county mayors and all the social partners and learn about their problems. And only after analyzing everything, will I be able to set priorities. I have goals anyway, but I don’t want to name them just yet. Just because, after analyzing the situation, they can change. So for now, I don’t want to hold onto anything.
Before starting to work in the police force with his colleagues from the Kaunas Police College, M.Baršys, who has been patrolling the streets of Kaunas, will meet for twenty years as Kaunas County Police Chief. (Photo by Vilmantas Raupelis)
– He’s the fourth Kaunas County Police Chief in a year and a half. What is your opinion on the circumstances that led to this? How long should the mandate of this responsible position last to achieve the objectives set and not get lost in the confines of the various temptations?
– The mandate of the chiefs of police stations is foreseen in the legislation: five years with the possibility of extending the mandate for another five years. I think this is optimal. In five years, it is certainly possible to set priorities and implement them. The time frame for business continuity is also sufficient. After that, you should already be working elsewhere. And because of the personnel change you mentioned, it’s hard for me to see it all from the sidelines. I can only appreciate what it is now. And I do not want to expand or express my opinion on the first. There are also legal procedures. And the court will evaluate that.
– None of your predecessors, like you, came from Kaunas. It is true that one, before becoming Kaunas County Police Chief, led the county criminal police. Is the fact that the appointment of agents outside the head of police stations is, in your opinion, an advantage or a disadvantage to occupy these positions?
Heroes are those who work on the street. Answer calls day and night and arrest criminals. You should talk to them. I’m not going to take laurels for them.
– I think this is an advantage because when you get to a new job, you can see a lot with different eyes. And you see what those who work here may not see. Each coach brings something new to the team. Like you get something new from employees.
Rejection of the dissatisfied
– After the victory in the national team, when you revealed that you had already moved to Kaunas a year and a half ago, rumors arose that these positions had been promised to you in advance …
– I have nothing to comment on. (The interlocutor does not control the laughter – aut. Past.) Simply because there is a selection process for such positions. I think it is very transparent. Because representatives of the Ministry of the Interior also participate in the selection. And before that, in the Civil Service Department we have some pretty serious and lengthy tests. Therefore, I think I won the selection fairly. And I have nothing more to say about it. I can only repeat what I have already said, that for me driving from Kaunas to Marijampolė, when I became its police chief, it was closer than to Tauragė, where I worked before.
– What is your opinion on the controversial police reform that Renatas Požėla, who has replaced Linas Pernavas as general police commissioner, is already trying to improve? Perhaps you also read the report of “Kauno diena” last weekend, do the people of Kaunas feel safe in their city and how do they value this reform?
– I read. However, I certainly do not consider the police reform that has taken place controversial. The police need to change because life, people and crime are changing. Perhaps there is something to fix in this reform, as in any reform. I also understand that Kaunas residents would feel safe only when there was no crime. But let’s face it, there are no such cities and states in the world. And it is much safer now than before. Statistics also show a decrease in crime. Even if it is said to be a big lie, it will not distort everything. I think the figures show that this reform has paid off. Crimes as they were, or really no more.
I think the number of police teams working in Kaunas is quite large. And, in my opinion, the police on the streets of Kaunas is enough. Also, there is invisible surveillance. In my opinion, people need to feel safe without seeing the police, but simply because of the preventive work that we are doing.
He did not come to demolish but to build
– You have worked in many police departments: convoys, highway police, patrol and district inspectors, criminal police investigator, organized crime investigation unit. Which of these positions did you like the most? And what made you become a cop?
– What I enjoyed the most was working in the organized crime investigation department, because, as I said, I am an analyst. I like to analyze processes and draw conclusions. Maybe that’s why working in criminal intelligence was closer to my heart.
Why I became a police officer, I don’t have a clear answer. I chose this profession in the twelfth grade. It just joined. It really wasn’t me who dreamed of being a cop since childhood. I chose to be a teacher or a police officer. I chose this profession. And I never regretted it. Although until then there were no policemen neither in the family nor in the family. Not now. So far I am alone. And I’m not really going to work as a catamaran. For me, working together is also a hobby.
– After announcing that while working in Tauragė, he also ran its police department, which fought against local organized crime, many internet commentators associated him with Lead, who also left a mark on Kaunas criminal chronicles. One of the most worn cliches about Kaunas is that after fencing with barbed wire, everyone would know what they are waiting for. By the way, some of your predecessors came to Kaunas to work with that attitude. Who, as a 20-year-old police officer, do you associate first with Kaunas?
– The main ruckus in Taurage is very old. When he was working in the Tauragė organized crime unit, we had also launched several pre-trial investigations against him. And completed successfully, but court decisions are as they are. As far as I remember, he was fined only for violations of public order and threats. And the unproven is not worth talking about.
We do not seem like exceptional city and Kaunas. All the big cities in the country have their own problems. And all of them, I think, are similar. So Kaunas is definitely not some kind of Lithuanian crime capital or something. Although some processes are taking place here. They are known and controlled. And that is one of my priorities.
– During the processes you mentioned, which made Kaunas famous, you paid at the Kaunas Police College and probably patrolled other cadets on the streets of the city.
– Yes. There was everything at that time. We enjoyed patrolling. But there were certainly no exceptional things. Also, continuing with the answer to the previous question, I really don’t want to say that I will scratch everything and put things in order here now. I came to Kaunas not to demolish, but to create a safer environment and a better, friendlier police.
Jaučiasi saugus
– How do you manage to adapt to your family in Kaunas?
– It is going well. (This response, which was also accompanied by the interviewer’s smile, came after the longest pause of the entire conversation. – aut. past.) I have a family and two children, but I wouldn’t want to expand further because of that. Because work is work and personal life is personal.
Photo by Vilmantas Raupelis
– What are your first impressions after becoming Kaunas County Police Chief? Did you find here what you expected?
– Comparing Kaunas with Marijampole, where I used to work, does not make sense, because now it is completely different. But the first impression is good. The Kaunas police team is mature, they have many professionals in their field. Although not all department heads had to communicate yet. Due to the current pandemic situation. But I really found what I was hoping for in Kaunas. There are more events in the daily Kaunas police summary, but there are also more residents here. But there are no exceptional events in Kaunas that would not exist in the country. For example, as in all of Lithuania, in Kaunas, much less car thefts are recorded this year. Although the residents of Kaunas complained daily about it. We also see those processes. And we control. But it is natural that when a thief is caught, others start to work. It is impossible to avoid all this. However, I admit that a lot also depends on the activity of the police. Therefore, we will focus on prevention. And with great force. Both visibly and invisibly. And high-quality crime management without chaos.
– During the year and a half that you live in Kaunas, have you, your family or friends, lost the experience of what the residents of Kaunas said during the report mentioned above?
– Personally, I feel very safe in Kaunas. And I walk alone on dark nights. In the year and a half that I’ve lived here, there really hasn’t been time to call the police or go somewhere to intervene. I’m definitely not the star to talk to. He is omniscient, he knows the answers to all questions. Heroes are those who work on the street. Answer calls day and night and arrest criminals. You should talk to them. I’m not going to take laurels for them. Because the heroes are them, not the leaders. The goal of managers is to set priorities so that they become the goal of subordinates. In addition, the manager must remove the obstacles that hinder the achievement of these objectives. In a word, a manager is just a manager. I think it will focus more on real heroes in the future.
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