Bence Retvari: Government Has Increased Public Security Funding by 1,250 Billion Annually

Public safety never comes free; it always requires effort and adequate resources. Over the past fifteen years, the government has increased public safety funding by 1,250 billion forints each year. As a result, 213,000 fewer crimes are committed annually than in 2010, said Bence Retvari, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Interior Ministry, on Saturday at the National Civil Guard Association’s ceremony marking the anniversary of October 23.

Bence Retvari, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Interior (Photo: MTI)

Speaking at the event held at the headquarters of the National Police (ORFK) on Teve Street, Bence Retvari thanked the volunteer civil guards for their work. He emphasized that they dedicate their free time to helping others live safely, thereby contributing significantly to maintaining public security across Hungary.

This is especially important in light of the rise in illegal migration, the state secretary noted, adding that certain neighborhoods of once safe Western European cities now show conditions resembling the Middle East. Most of Europe's top ten most dangerous cities are located in France, Belgium, and Sweden, he pointed out. In Sweden, a stabbing or explosion occurs roughly every other day, which local authorities link to organized crime driven by illegal migration.

Thanks to the joint efforts of police officers and neighborhood civil guards, 213,000 fewer crimes are committed today than in 2010. The number of homicides has fallen to less than half, thefts have dropped to one-third, and cases of vandalism have also declined,

Bence Retvari highlighted, adding that 

the visible presence of civil guards acts as a deterrent and that it is important for them to feel supported by law-abiding residents in their communities.

The State Secretary also noted that an anti-drug crackdown launched earlier this year has led to the arrest of numerous drug dealers and a significant decrease in drug-related crimes. 

In the first nine months of the year, crimes committed in public areas fell by nearly 10 percent, while cases of assault, burglary, theft, and robbery also declined noticeably.

This success would not have been possible without the work of the civil guards,

Bence Retvari emphasized, adding that in recent years, the activities of the civil guards have expanded to include border protection and environmental protection, citing efforts against illegal waste dumping as an example.

The State Secretary praised the work of Andras Turos, President of the National Civil Guard Association, whose nearly three decades of leadership have built a well-organized, skilled, and efficiently managed organization.

During the ceremony, 80 individuals received awards. The Civil Guard’s highest honor, the Kopacsi Sandor Civil Guard Medal of Merit, was presented to ten recipients, and another ten received the Saint Ladislaus Medal.