President Milanović Decorates Police Officers on Police Day and Says: The police job is delicate and difficult; it will be even harder with Croatia’s entry in the Schengen Area

The President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović hosted a formal reception in the Office of the President on the occasion of Police Day and bestowed decorations upon employees of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia and the Omiš Police Station.

Extending his congratulations on Police Day to the male and female police officers, who are employees of the Ministry of the Interior, President Milanović said in his address at the ceremony that they are doing a good job, which is difficult and highly challenging. “Your job is delicate, unpleasant and is the embodiment of the definition that only the state has a monopoly and the right to use force, except for the army, with which the citizens are not in contact and which stays in the barracks, except in war,” President Milanović said, pointing out that members of the Croatian Police, like all others, live in difficult times.

The President went on to explain why there is no more delicate job than that of the police. “Daily contact with the state and the impression a citizen gets about the state and its range of activities, its sensitivity or lack of sensitivity to human rights and freedoms, which in theory are absolute and natural, comes through contact with the police. It is a very delicate job and a very heavy burden to bear for anyone who is not aware of its significance, all its pitfalls and challenges,” said the President.

President Milanović expressed understanding in his address for the problems the police is facing at the Croatian border. “Once Croatia joins Schengen, your task of guarding the Croatian border, first the Croatian and then the European border, will be even more delicate. You are guarding the Croatian border. The border is one of the three fundamental, key state pillars. Wars are fought because of borders, they are guarded, they can be more or less open in some periods of history or completely disappear, but borders exist. The Croatian Army fought for them until recently, and many of you were part of it,” President Milanović concluded in his address. The President then bestowed decorations upon employees of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia and the Omiš Police Station, on the occasion of Police Day.

For bravery and heroism displayed in the Homeland War, the Order of Duke Domagoj with Ribbon was bestowed upon Mladen Blašković, and the Omiš Police Station was decorated with the Order of Nikola Šubić Zrinski for deeds of valour by its members in the Homeland War. For extraordinary services to the Republic of Croatia in a state of war and under special circumstances in peace, the Order of the Croatian Trefoil was conferred upon Željko Benc, Dražen Horvat, Željko Kujavić and Hrvoje Mahalec. The Order of the Croatian Interlace, for extraordinary contributions to the development and the reputation of the Republic of Croatia, as well as to the welfare of its citizens, was presented to Dragan Brunjak and Mario Vujić.

Vjeran Alilović, Božo Anić-Kaliger, Boris Baćak, Željko Đaković, Zlatko Grubešić, Petar Modrić, Mladen Moslavac, Božidar Ružić, Romeo Senfner, Marinko Šižgora, Davor Švenda and Denis Zurak were awarded the Homeland War Memorial Medal for their participation in the Homeland War.

For honourable and exemplary service, Božo Anić-Kaliger, Rino Aralica, Davorka Babić, Ivan Babić, Svjetlana Babić, Dalibor Bačić, Anita Bačurin, Stjepan Balić, Mirjana Balog Gjurgjević, Ivan Ban, Gracijela Barbić, Saša Barila, Irene Bašić, Mato Benić, Jerko Bešlić, Josipa Boras, Ante Brčić, Robert Bregar, Damir Brezovec, Drago Bukovčak, Ante Buljan, Ksenija Butorac, Anita Crnković, Mario Cvitković, Snježana Černivec, Božica Čiček, Alenka Čretnik, Krešimir Čulina, Nikola Ćaćić, Katica Dejanović, Ante Delipetar, Armando Derossi, Boris Divjak, Sanja Dobranić, Drago Dražetić, Ivica Dučić, Marko Džigumović, Tatjana Đuka, Ivica Ercegovac, Mladen Ergotić, Sanela Franić, Meri Gabričević, Zoran Gajari, Ante Gašpar, Marija Goatti, Drago Gojković, Renata Golić, Mirko Golub, Josip Gombar, Predrag Gračić, Vesna Grubišić, Dinko Gruić, Boris Halamek, Ina Hanić, Alen Hološi, Ivica Hrgović, Nevenka Hrmić, Helena Ilijaš, Igor Jandroković, Helena Jelinek Mareljić, Marijana Jirouš, Jadranka Josipović-Pongra, Ivana Juričinec, Mirjana Jurić, Katarina Kaniški, Mirko Karlić, Ivanka Katić, Goran Kladušić, Slaven Knez, Mirjana Kovač, Miro Kovač, Marijana Krajna, Jasenka Krešić, Dijana Krmpotić, Zorica Laušić, Nikica Lazarević, Dorijana Licul, Ivan Lukačević, Hrvoje Mahalec, Tihomir Matešić, Ante Matić, Maja Matijaš Filipović, Božidar Matijević, Sandra Mihaliček, Valentina Mihoković, Milan Mikecin, Damir Mikić, Silvija Miličević, Ivica Milić, Ante Miljak, Zlata Močnik, Brankica Mraović, Marijan Neralić, Svjetlana Nikolić, Anđelko Orlović, Igor Papa, Ivo Papac, Marin Papić, Zorica Paurević, Vanda Pavić-Zrilić, Ivan Pavlinušić,           Snježana Perak, Robert Perić, Ivana Perlić Glamočak, Željko Petrić, Željka Petrus, Stjepan Pilat, Diana Plaček, Barbara Plenča, Andro Pleština, Vladimir Počekal, Jadranko Podnar, Ivan Prce, Ante Prgin, Jurica Prpić, Darko Prskalo, Mirjana Puljko, Mato Pušeljić, Siniša Radić, Kata Radočaj, Ante Rakić, Ivica Ražov, Marica Regelja Šćurić, Milan Salmić, Mario Salopek, Mile Salopek, Vlatka Segečić, Biserka Skelin, Karmen Skube, Srećko Slavić, Tihomir Srnović, Zdravko Stepanić, Predrag Stipaničić, Marijan Sudec, Franjo Sušec, Zoran Šalinović, Nataša Šarić, Nevenka Šarić, Jasmina Šehić, Blaženka Šimunđija, Željko Širić, Krunoslav Špoljar, Dražen Štigler, Tamara Štrok Krznar, Svjetlana Šuperba, Mario Tešić, Anto Tolić, Branka Tomašić, Dragica Tomljenović, Siniša Turčin,         Robert Tuškan, Branko Valjak, Dubravka Vesel, Davor Vidaković, Ivor Vilić, Ante Vujić, Marinko Vuković, Antonio Vulas, Irana Vulin Vojaković, Kristina Zubak, Denis Zurak, Jovanka Žegarac, Ivica Živković and Katica Živković were presented with the Homeland Gratitude Memorial Medal.

Apart from President Milanović, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia Davor Božinović congratulated the employees of the Ministry of the Interior on the occasion of Police Day, saying that according to all parameters, they have achieved the best results since Croatia gained independence. “However, when it comes to the police system, there should be no threshold of success. One can always do more and better. We strive to keep that rhythm, the rhythm of the police, which guarantees, together with all other components of our system, the safety of Croatian citizens, the safety of our guests,” said Minister of the Interior Božinović, underscoring that Croatia is one of the safest countries in Europe according to EU data.

The Head of the Department for Public Order and Safety of the Istria County Police Administration Mladen Blašković expressed gratitude on behalf of the decorated employees of the Ministry of the Interior.

Also attending the award presentation ceremony held on the occasion of Police Day in the Office of the President, apart from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia Davor Božinović, were the following: envoy of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament and Member of Parliament Ante Deur; envoy of the Deputy Prime Minister and Croatian Veterans’ Affairs Minister, Director of the Directorate at the Ministry of Croatian Veterans’ Affairs Dinko Tadnara; envoy of the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces and Director of the Planning Directorate Brigadier General Gordana Garašić; Head of the Office of the National Security Council Valentin Franjić; Director of the Security and Intelligence Agency Daniel Markić; Military Ordinary Msgr. Jure Bogdan; Vicar General of Military Ordinariate Rev. Marko Medo; officials of the Ministry of the Interior; former Ministers of the Interior; General Police Director Nikola Milina; members of the College of the General Police Director and Heads of Police Administrations; former General Police Director; wartime commanders and members of the Military Command of the Special Police of the Ministry of the Interior; wartime commanders of the Special Police Units of Police Administrations; members of the Police Union of Croatia and the Independent Union of Employees of the Ministry of the Interior; coordinators and winners of the women’s and men’s competition “4. Memorijal Šimo Đamić – Štit Domovine Đakovo 2022.”

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas, Marko Beljan