The Međimurje County Prevention Council requested a stronger police presence on the ground and an expansion of the video surveillance system on Thursday. The extended meeting was convened following a shooting outside a nightclub in Čakovec, in which 4 July two young men were injured, the eMeđimurje portal reports.
The meeting at the county hall was chaired by County Prefect Matija Posavec. Following the discussion, he presented the conclusions: the police should intensify their work on the ground, and the County will improve video surveillance in collaboration with towns and municipalities wherever the need arises. At the police's suggestion, cameras could also be installed at the entrances and exits of the county.
Vladimir Faber, advisor to the head of the Međimurje Police Department, presented data for the first half of the year. Crime is generally declining, but there is concern over the rise in drug abuse. Faber assessed the shooting in Čakovec as an isolated incident and highlighted that quality video surveillance contributed to the arrest of the perpetrator. "Međimurje County and the City of Čakovec remain safer than the Croatian average, while the Croatian average is safer than the European average," Faber stated.
However, the majority of the meeting was characterised by political conflicts. MP Ivica Baksa objected that the meeting should have been held the day after the shooting. He also announced that he would submit his own eighteen-page plan of measures to the Council. Čakovec Mayor Ljerka Cividini retorted that "one isolated criminal incident cannot become the description of the whole city" and that spreading fear harms citizens, the economy, and Čakovec's reputation.
MP Boška Ban assessed that the meeting had turned into a political reckoning. She warned that residents of the area around the nightclub had previously sent letters to the authorities. She also requested answers regarding how an armed person with a criminal record was able to enter the club.
Marina Payerl-Pal, director of the County Institute of Public Health, also drew attention to growing addiction problems. Experts from the Institute conduct preventive programmes with schools and the police, some of which have been running for over a decade.
