Media: Czech police protest against low pay

According to the Idnes news portal, protests will last from November 4th to November 8th. In that time, traffic police officers will not fine offenders for minor parking violations, lack of seatbelts, driving with headlights off, no safety helmets on bikers, and the like. Fines will still be imposed for speeding, ignoring red traffic lights, using mobile phones when driving, and other violations capable of causing serious harm.

The resource does not specify the number of officers who have joined the protests. They quote one of the organisers who said that ‘a great number of officers are dissatisfied primarily with low basic wages’.

Idnes claims that the protest was initiated by Martin Cervenka, local police department chief from Pisek city. According to him, lack of financing leads to acute manpower shortages. His own department, for instance, should have 41 officers employed on paper, while in reality, only 28 work there, and 6 of them are planning to leave the force by the year’s end.

Low pay is the reason why 10 percent of new police recruits leave in the first 4 years of service. In their effort to improve the situation, the Czech authorities plan to raise police wages significantly in 2025.