Procedures for the Provision of Support by the National Guard of the Republic of Latvia to State and Local Government Authorities in Crime Prevention, Guaranteeing of Public Order and Security

Issued pursuant to
Section 9, Paragraph three of the National Guard of the Republic of Latvia Law

I. General Provisions

1. This Regulation prescribes the procedures by which the National Guard of the Republic of Latvia (hereinafter - National Guard) shall provide support to State and local government authorities in crime prevention, guaranteeing of public order and security.

2. The National Guard shall provide support to State and local government authorities in crime prevention and guaranteeing of public order and security, on the basis of the order of the Commander of the National Armed Forces (or his authorised official) and upon written request of State or local government authorities.

3. The National Guard may provide support to:

3.1. the State Police and local governments - in preventive, response and elimination of consequences measures of the National Civil Defence Plan and local government civil defence plans, which are related to the elimination of consequences, guaranteeing of public order and security;

3.2. the State Environmental Service - in preventing violations of the regulations regarding environmental protection and use of natural resources (including fishing and angling);

3.3. the Nature Protection Board - in preventing violations of the regulations regarding the protection and use of specially protected nature territories, species and biotopes;

3.4. the State Forest Service - in preventing violations of the use of natural resources in accordance with the laws and regulations governing the use of forest resources;

3.5. the State Police:

3.5.1. in search for missing persons in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the procedures by which the National Armed Forces shall participate in emergency, firefighting and rescue operations, as well as in the measures for the elimination of the consequences caused by emergency situations;

3.5.2. in maintaining public order in events of State significance on the basis of a respective order of the Cabinet;

3.6. the State Border Guard - in temporary restoration of border control on internal State borders on the basis of a respective order of the Cabinet in order to prevent that persons and vehicles cross the State border outside the places determined for such purpose or in another unlawful way;

3.7. the Security Police - in crime prevention, guaranteeing of public order and security according to the National Anti-terrorism Plan and on the basis of a respective decision of the Minister for Defence;

3.8. State and local government authorities - in crime prevention, guaranteeing of public order and safety in case of threats to the State on the basis of decisions taken and action plans adopted by the Cabinet.

4. The National Guard may refuse the provision of support in the cases referred to in Paragraph 3 of this Regulation if:

4.1. the National Guard must carry out tasks related to the implementation of national defence measures;

4.2. exceptional circumstances have been announced in the State or its part;

4.3. the National Guard does not have the requested resources at its disposal (personnel or material and technical resources).

5. The State Police in co-operation with the National Guard shall carry out training of the personnel of National Guard to be involved in crime prevention, guaranteeing of general safety and public order.

6. Upon providing support in crime prevention, guaranteeing of public order and safety, the national guardsmen shall exercise their rights and duties in accordance with the procedures laid down in the laws and regulations governing the service progress of the national guardsmen.

II. Procedures for the Provision of Support by the National Guard to the State Police and Local Governments in Preventive, Response and Elimination of Consequences Measures of the National Civil Defence Plan and Local Government Civil Defence Plans, which are Related to the Elimination of Consequences, Guaranteeing of Public Order and Security

7. Involvement of the National Guard in guaranteeing of public order and safety of a particular administrative territory, which is related to preventive, response and liquidation measures of the National Civil Defence Plan (patrolling in the area affected by a disaster, guarding of the property of inhabitants residing there and evacuation of material values, instructing regarding evacuation routes, regulation of transport traffic), shall be requested by the chief of the respective territorial board of the State Police or his or her authorised official, or the authorised official of the respective local government.

8. The chief of the respective territorial board of the State Police or his or her authorised official, or the authorised official of the respective local government shall indicate the following in the request to the Commander of the National Armed Forces (or his authorised official):

8.1. the times of measures;

8.2. the place and nature of the event;

8.3. the preferable number of the personnel of the National Guard unit involved in the completion of the task;

8.4. the tasks in guaranteeing public order, safety and security;

8.5. the material and technical resources necessary for carrying out the tasks (indicating separately means of communication, special means and service firearms);

8.6. the responsible official of the State Police or local government.

9. The Commander of the National Armed Forces (or his authorised official) shall inform the chief of the respective territorial board of the State Police or his or her authorised official, or the authorised official of the respective local government regarding the following concerning the National Guard unit to be involved in guaranteeing of public order and security:

9.1. the tasks in guaranteeing of public order and security;

9.2. the time when the activity will be started and ended;

9.3. the number of personnel;

9.4. material and technical resources (indicating separately means of communication, special means and service firearms);

9.5. the commander.

10. If it necessary to involve more than 50 national guardsmen for guaranteeing of public order and safety or if exceptional circumstances have been announced in the State or its part, a decision to provide support shall be taken by the Minister for Defence.

11. Upon arrival at the place where measures of guaranteeing public order and security must be taken, the responsible official of the State Police or local government shall instruct the national guardsmen regarding the specificity of the tasks to be carried out.

12. The commander of the National Guard unit involved in guaranteeing of public order and security:

12.1. shall manage the unit and be responsible for carrying out the tasks of the unit according to the instructions of the responsible official of the State Police or local government police, as well as is entitled to recall individual national guardsmen of the unit from carrying out of the duties and to make changes in the personnel;

12.2. inform the responsible official of the State Police or local government regarding commencing activity, its course, termination and leaving the place where tasks were carried out.

13. The commander of the National Guard unit involved in guaranteeing of public order and safety is included in the composition of the operational headquarters of public order and safety measures.

14. The official of the State Police or local government responsible for measures of guaranteeing public order and safety shall be responsible for instructions given to the National Guard unit involved in guaranteeing of public order and safety within the scope of the task assigned thereto and for the consequences caused by carrying out of such instructions.

15. The chief of the relevant territorial board of the State Police or his/her authorised official, the chairperson of the local government council or the authorised official of the local government and the commander of the National Guard unit (battalion) stationed in the relevant administrative territory shall once a quarter exchange information regarding the potential measures of guaranteeing general safety, security and public order in the administrative territory and the potential involvement of the National Guard.

III. Procedures for the Provision of Support by the National Guard to the State Environmental Service, the Nature Protection Board and the State Forest Service

16. The State Environmental Service and the National Armed Forces may enter into a departmental agreement, providing for involvement of the national guardsmen in provision of support for the performance of situational awareness and control measures in prevention of violations of the regulations regarding environmental protection and use of natural resources or prophylaxis.

17. The Nature Protection Board and the National Armed Forces may enter into a departmental agreement, providing for involvement of the national guardsmen in provision of support for the performance of situational awareness and control measures in prevention of violations of the regulations regarding protection and use of specially protected nature territories, species and biotopes or prophylaxis.

18. The State Forest Service and the National Armed Forces may enter into a departmental agreement, providing for involvement of the national guardsmen in provision of support for crime prevention in the use of natural resources.

IV. Procedures for the Provision of Support by the National Guard to the State Border Guard

19. The tasks of the National Guard, the time and place of carrying out thereof in temporary restoration of border control on State borders shall be determined in a respective Cabinet order on temporary restoration of border control on State border.

20. On the basis of the Cabinet order referred to in Paragraph 19 of this Regulation, the State Border Guard shall co-ordinate the procedures for the performance of the tasks to be carried out by the National Guard with the Commander of the National Armed Forces (or his authorised official), the number and duties of the personnel involved therein, the material and technical resources necessary for the performance of the tasks (indicating separately the means of communication, special means and service firearms), as well as the procedures for mutual co-operation.

Prime Minister V. Dombrovskis

Minister for Defence,
Acting Minister for Justice I. V. Lieģis

Translation © 2014 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)