Enforcement Police Division to be upgraded to full Department status under new legislative overhaul

The Enforcement Police Division is to be formally restructured into the Enforcement Police Department, following proposed legislative amendments to the Law on Enforcement Proceedings.

Special state ranks will be introduced for enforcement police officers alongside a standardised pay scale framework under the planned changes.

Specifically, enforcement officers will receive rank-based pay and length-of-service bonuses, the amounts of which will be determined by the Minister of Justice. The bill clarifies that officers will not receive class-based allowances.

The draft law also regulates financial compensation packages in the event an enforcement officer is killed or injured in the line of duty. Specifically, if an officer loses their life while carrying out official duties, their family will receive a one-off lump-sum payout of GEL 15,000 (increased from GEL 10,000).

Furthermore, the amendments stipulate that if an enforcement officer dies or succumbs to injuries sustained while preventing an offence, apprehending an offender, or as a result of an assault connected to their official activities, their family will be granted a one-off lump-sum payment of GEL 30,000.

In cases of physical injury, officers suffering severe health damage will receive GEL 7,000; those sustaining moderately severe injuries will receive GEL 4,000; and minor injuries will receive a GEL 2,000 payout.

Under transitional provisions outlined in the bill, professional civil servants currently employed within the Enforcement Police Division will be transferred directly into equivalent positions within the newly created Enforcement Police Department without being required to sit open civil service competitions.