National Police Union: Officers poorly equipped for infectious environment, although protective gear mandatory

Despite a mandatory requirement for police who come in contact with the citizens to wear protective gear, this doesn't happen because of the scarce supplies with such equipment, reads an appeal by the National Police Officers Union (SNAP) to Minister of Interior Ion Marcel Vela. "Police officers who come into contact with people who intend to enter the country, or who request police services, must wear protective gear. So far this doesn't happen, and we have concrete examples in this regard," the document states. The National Police Officers Union asks the Interior Minister to open an account for donations for the purchase of protective equipment and also order police school students to report to the police precincts they are assigned to "in order to help police with their professional activities, just as medical students and residents do." The union also requests the speedy investigation of the retired police officer who passed the coronavirus on to several persons in the 'Dimitrie Gerota' hospital dedicated to Interior Ministry workers, infamous "patient 17" who initially concealed having traveled abroad in February. "The investigation in the 'Gerota' case must be fast-tracked, because we believe that the serious situation we are in, specifically the infection of a large number of people and the creation of an outbreak cluster, is the result of a string of abuses," reads the appeal signed by SNAP president Iulian Surugiu. AGERPRES (RO - author: George Coman, editor: Andreea Marinescu; EN - author: Simona Klodnischi, editor: Simona Iacob)