RIGA, Feb 2 (LETA) - The new Law on Local Governments will oblige local governments to establish municipal police, Arturs Toms Pless (For Development), Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, told LETA in an interview.

He explained that so far there has been a big loophole in the Law on Local Governments regarding the maintenance of public order. This was the case in both the previous 119 municipality model and the current one after the reform.

The Minister pointed out that there is a great deal of uncertainty about how to organize the maintenance of public order. Some municipalities are setting up municipal police, which is the clearest way from a legal point of view.

Other local governments establish a public order department or some other institution. They have much less rights and powers from a legal point of view. Currently, the legal framework is very unclear and approaches to the issue are very different, the politician said.

"The new law will ensure that it is mandatory for each municipality to have a municipal police. This will ensure that understanding, scope and level of functions in all municipalities will be ensured at the same level so that citizens feel safe and public order is maintained," the minister said.

He is convinced that the law will be passed during this Saeima. Currently, the responsible committee of the Saeima is considering the draft law in the second reading. More than 300 proposals have been submitted for this law.