The Međimurje County Council’s council for prevention requested on Thursday a stronger police presence on the ground and an expansion of the video surveillance system. The council, in its extended composition, was convened following the shooting outside a nightclub in Čakovec, in which two young men were wounded on 4 July, as reported by the eMeđimurje portal.
The council, in its extended composition, was chaired by County President Matija Posavec. Following the debate, he presented the conclusions: the police should intensify their work on the ground, while the County will upgrade video surveillance wherever a need is identified. At the police’s suggestion, cameras could also be placed at the entrances and exits to the county.
The deputy of the Police Directorate for Međimurje, Vladimir Faber, presented data for the first half of the year. Crime overall is falling, but there is concern over the rise in drug abuse. The shooting in Čakovec was assessed as an isolated incident, and he highlighted that the arrest of the perpetrator was, among other things, the result of high-quality video surveillance. “Međimurje County and the city of Čakovec remain safer than the Croatian average, while the Croatian average is safer than the European average,” Faber said.
The majority of the session, however, was marked by political disputes. Sabor MP Ivica Baksa objected that the session should have taken place the day after the shooting. He also announced that he would submit a 18-page plan of measures to the council. The mayor of Čakovec, Ljerka Cividini, responded that “a single isolated criminal incident cannot be taken as a description of the whole city” and that spreading fear harms residents, the economy, and the reputation of Čakovec.
The Sabor MP Boška Ban assessed that the session had turned into a political confrontation. She warned that residents of the area around the nightclub had previously sent complaints to the relevant authorities. She called for answers regarding how an armed individual with a criminal record was able to enter the club.
The director of the county institute for public health, Marina Payerl-Pal, also highlighted the growing problem of addiction. Experts from the institute, working with schools and the police, are conducting preventive programmes, some of which have been in place for over a decade.
