Foto: BB.LV / Арманд Рукс
He pointed out that at the age when some police officers can already qualify for retirement for length of service, an investigator often only begins to acquire the experience necessary for investigating complex and serious crimes. "Is retirement for length of service being granted too quickly these days? At the age at which they retire for length of service, investigators usually are just starting to develop the experience needed to solve serious crimes," a viewer asked. However, Armands Ruks completely disagreed with this statement. He noted that an investigator who retires for length of service at around 50 years of age usually has a very large work experience behind them, so such a person cannot be considered inexperienced. "If an investigator retires for length of service at the age of 50, their experience is likely around 30 years. Probably even after ten years of service, a person is experienced, and continuing their career, that experience only further develops," explained the Chief of the State Police. Ruks also reminded that changes are already planned in the system of pensions for length of service, and the legislature has made decisions to raise the age threshold. According to him, the new rules will apply to those who join the service from January 1, 2027, and the conditions will also depend on the length of service and the specific group of workers. "This has already been done and revised," Ruks noted, emphasizing that the discussion about the retirement age for length of service is not new and adjustments have already been made in the system. At the same time, the Chief of the State Police emphasized that when discussing pensions for length of service, one cannot evaluate all police officers by the same principle. The work of an investigator is significantly different from the duties of an operational officer or a police officer in a special unit, where the physical load and nature of the work can be completely different. "The biggest mistake is to lump all police officers and everyone who receives pensions for length of service into one category. An investigator is one thing, an operational officer or a special unit officer is another," said Ruks. Thus, although the viewer suggested questioning whether 50 years is too early for retirement for length of service, Ruks emphasized that the decisive factors are not only age but also the specific position, length of service, and workload. That is why, in his opinion, the system of pensions for length of service cannot be evaluated uniformly for all police officers.
