Interior minister Linda Mūrniece has cracked down on police that cannot speak Latvian, highlighting the linguistic divide that continues to trouble Latvia and its two largest ethnic groups.

RIGA — A recent audit by Latvia’s interior ministry has found that 219 police officers do not possess sufficient knowledge of the national language.

Ministry spokesman Mareks Matisons told local media that the number amounts to 3 percent of [private_supervisor]Latvia’s police force. He said police who were written up for poor knowledge of Latvian have until October 1 to improve their language skills and retake the test.

The audit was conducted at the initiative of Minister of the Interior Linda Mūrniece, who last month called for checking all police officer’s knowledge of the national language after numerous complaints that police in Latgale were unable to communicate in Latvian while on duty.

“A police officer who does not know the national language cannot work on the force,” Mūrniece said at the time. “He cannot provide full support to citizens. He cannot listen to evidence, record them, fill out the document in a qualitative manner, and conduct investigations.” [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]Latvia’s police force. He said police who were written up for poor knowledge of Latvian have until October 1 to improve their language skills and retake the test.

The audit was conducted at the initiative of Minister of the Interior Linda Mūrniece, who last month called for checking all police officer’s knowledge of the national language after numerous complaints that police in Latgale were unable to communicate in Latvian while on duty.

“A police officer who does not know the national language cannot work on the force,” Mūrniece said at the time. “He cannot provide full support to citizens. He cannot listen to evidence, record them, fill out the document in a qualitative manner, and conduct investigations.” [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]Latvia’s police force. He said police who were written up for poor knowledge of Latvian have until October 1 to improve their language skills and retake the test.

The audit was conducted at the initiative of Minister of the Interior Linda Mūrniece, who last month called for checking all police officer’s knowledge of the national language after numerous complaints that police in Latgale were unable to communicate in Latvian while on duty.

“A police officer who does not know the national language cannot work on the force,” Mūrniece said at the time. “He cannot provide full support to citizens. He cannot listen to evidence, record them, fill out the document in a qualitative manner, and conduct investigations.” [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]Latvia’s police force. He said police who were written up for poor knowledge of Latvian have until October 1 to improve their language skills and retake the test.

The audit was conducted at the initiative of Minister of the Interior Linda Mūrniece, who last month called for checking all police officer’s knowledge of the national language after numerous complaints that police in Latgale were unable to communicate in Latvian while on duty.

“A police officer who does not know the national language cannot work on the force,” Mūrniece said at the time. “He cannot provide full support to citizens. He cannot listen to evidence, record them, fill out the document in a qualitative manner, and conduct investigations.” [/private_subscription 1 year]

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