The Moldovan citizens’ trust in the police remains at a low level, of only 30%, even if a broad reformation process was conducted in 2018-2020 and the increase in the people’s trust was set as an objective of the agreement to finance the Support to Police Reform Program signed by the European Commission and the Government of the Republic of Moldova. “We started in 2016 with the population’s trust of 26% in the police, according to the Public Opinion Barometer, and in June 2021 reached a figure of 30%, even if in October 2020 we had almost 41%. These fluctuations in data make us not to relax, while the citizens’ trust should be secured not for statistics. The people’s confidence should be increased as a result of the high-quality public service round-the-clock,” said Promo-LEX Association executive director Ion Manole, being quoted by IPN.

According to the experts of Promo-LEX, who analyzed the level of implementation of the actions of the Police Development Strategy for 2016-2020, most of the assumed commitments were fulfilled at the start and at the end of the implementation period. Of the 84 planned activities, 27 were carried out (32%), 31 were partially fulfilled (37%), while 15 remained overdue (18%).

“The causes are different. It goes to the political situation of 2016-2020. In that period, we had three governments and, respectively, three ministers of home affairs. Consequently, the heads of the General Police Inspectorate were replaced. The COVID-19 pandemic substantially influenced the proper implementation of the strategy. In 2020, we had a general state of emergency and a state of public health emergency and the Ministry of the Interior and the General Police Inspectorate focused on the supervision of the observance by the people of the measures introduced by the Commission for Emergencies,” said Promo-LEX expert Mihaela Duca-Anghelici.

On December 8, Soros Foundation Moldova made public an opinion poll showing that almost 53% of the respondents do not feel safe. The 2010 poll showed that 65% of the responds considered the state didn’t ensure their security. 22% of those surveyed believe the work of the police and the services provided by them have improved the past ten years.