Czech Roma helping police by patrolling streets

Novy Bor, North Bohemia, Sept 10 (CTK) - Czech Roma have established a patrol helping the police resolve problems caused by local Roma in the town again after nine months, local police chief Jiri Zemanec told CTK Monday.

The police have received money till the end of the year for the service of two Roma assistants for crime prevention, Zemanec said.

"What will follow, we do not know yet. As we want them to continue, we will ask again for a subsidy from the Interior Ministry," he added.

Two Roma in uniforms similar to those used by the police appeared in Novy Bor, a town with about 12,000 inhabitants, in October 2011.

The creation of the patrol reacted to the tense relations between majority society and the local Roma community after a machete attack last year.

Three people were injured in the attack made by local Roma.

This and several similar incidents escalated the tension between old local residents and low-income newcomers, mostly Roma, in north Bohemia. A number of protest rallies, sometimes organised by the far right, were then held against rising Romani crime in the region.

The Romani patrol is to help improve order in public areas and in houses.

However, the subsidies from the Interior Ministry were first only sufficient for three months.

As the patrol served its purpose, the town hall has asked the Interior Ministry to continue with the project.

"The assistants certainly do not replace the police, but they are helpful in some spheres," Zemanec said.

"They are to help manage difficult and conflict situations and communication with the persons threatened with social exclusion," he added.

Miroslav More and Miroslav Tancos are also to combat the Roma's widespread truancy.

Last year, the Romani patrol was watching scrap metal centres at which Roma often try to sell scrap metal they steal, helped resolve problems in Roma's hostels and it was speaking with groups of youths in the park.

Zemanec said now it also rendered good services in checks of local restaurants and gambling rooms.