New chiefs of North, East prefectures appointed into office

Photo: Politsei- ja piirivalveamet

Director general of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board Elmar Vaher proposed to the interior minister to appoint Kristian Jaani chief of the North prefecture and Vallo Koppel head of the East prefecture.

After meeting with both candidates on Friday, Interior Minister Ken-Marti Vaher appointed them into office, spokespeople for the Police and Border Guard Board said.

"Both men started work in the police system in the mid-1990s at the so-to-say grassroots level and have through years proven themselves to be both very good specialists and capable leaders," the police chief said. "They are results-oriented leaders, good at analytical thinking and able to create capable teams. I am convinced they will make excellent prefects."

The interior minister described the newly-appointed local police chiefs as leaders who have in their previous work displayed the ability to be movers in and strong contributors to internal security. "I trust Elmar Vaher's choice and believe that the renewed team of the Police and Border Guard Board will even better fulfill the aims of ensuring security," Ken-Marti Vaher said.

Jaani, who has headed the public order division of the North prefecture for the last five years, joined the force in 1997 and has since then held different positions with the criminal and the public order police.

Koppel, currently chief of the criminal investigations division of the South prefecture, started work in 1996 as an investigator with the central bureau of investigation. He has worked at the South prefecture and the central criminal police, as well as at the Public Prosecutor's Office as an assistant prosecutor.

Jaani will take up the appointment on June 10 and Koppel, on July 8.