New Proposal to Allocate Weapons to Patrol Officers Submitted for Public Discussion

The Ministry of Justice has submitted for public discussion a project amending the decision on the allocation of service weapons and ammunition with the right to possess and carry them for police officers. According to the proposed changes, patrol officers will also have the right to carry firearms.

The justification for the proposal indicates that the Government's decision No. 1366-N, dated November 26, 2009, stipulates that weapons with the right to possess and carry are allocated to police officers who have completed the training courses or undergone special preparation, occupying senior, medium, and junior positions, except for personnel in the armed forces of the Police of the Republic of Armenia. Currently, patrol officers perform their duties unarmed, despite the need for firearms. It is considered impractical to set up examinations for them since they have already undergone the necessary firearms training.

The proposed amendments include adding the words "and patrol officers" after the term "military personnel" in the preamble of the decision. This change is mainly aimed at including patrol officers in the exemptions list, as they undergo the most extensive firearms training and pass assessments. In contrast, in other police divisions, examinations may be necessary since civilians can be included who have not undergone any such training.

It is worth noting that for the purpose of being assigned a position in the Patrol Service, an average of 40 hours of firearms training has been conducted at the Police Educational Complex, with 40 bullets allocated. Furthermore, a new training phase is planned with 44 hours of training and 45 bullets.

The proposal will only come into legal force after receiving the approval of the government.