Addressing the assembly, President Stjepan Mesic recalled the defence and creation of independent and democratic Croatia in the early 1990s, saying the Croatian police had represented the core of the defence in which 711 police were killed, while numerous were wounded.
"Since then the Croatian police have passed a long path on which they gradually transformed and organised themselves so as to be able to answer the challenges of the present," said Mesic.
He supported amendments to the penal code which would introduce harsher penalties for certain grave crimes, including assaults on police officers.
Parliament Speaker Vladimir Seks said parliament would answer every demand from the police so that potential criminals would know what penalties expected them if they dared to assault those enforcing the law.
Seks said the Interior Ministry should receive more budget funds. "I share your need for the Croatian state to have more understanding for you and to show this in next year's budget."
Interior Minister Ivica Kirin said "today we can all be more than proud of the police and their work because we live in a safe country".