More than 300 soldiers provided public order and security over Christmas and on New Year’s Eve in Bratislava

A total of 318 soldiers provided public order and security on the streets of Bratislava over Christmas and on New Year’s Eve. They conducted mixed foot patrols with members of the SVK Police Corps from 22 November 2019 to 1 January 2020.
 

Defence Minister Peter Gajdoš said: “The incidents that occurred in the world in the past have clearly shown that in the field of security we must put emphasis on prevention, including on this type of coordination between the State’s military and police services.” He added that mixed military and police patrols had been deployed several times before, most recently during the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Slovakia.

The main mission of the mixed patrols was to provide public order, protect life, health and property, and combat terrorism and organised crime. Soldiers were earmarked for this purpose due to current security developments, following a request for assistance from the SVK Police Corps and the Cabinet’s decision of 6 November 2019.