BILL ON POLICE AIMED AT DEPOLITICISING INTERIOR MINISTRY, MAKING ECONOMIES - LUCIN

ZAGREB, Oct 27 (Hina) - The Sabor's House of Representatives on Friday continued its session with a debate on a bill on police forces, which would organise the police in line with western democratic standards as of January 1 2001. The bill is aimed at depoliticising and adjusting the Interior Ministry to peace-time conditions, Interior Minister Sime Lucin said. According to the bill, the police should become a service within the Interior Ministry. All segments of the police - basic, crime and special police forces - would be under one directorate and the number of police officers would not exceed 18,300, Lucin said. The operation of police forces would be based on police stations, and the bill also envisages the categorisation of police departments and stations. The goal is to achieve an optimal number of police officers per citizen. The new organisation of the ministry would enable considerable economies, Lucin said. The Committee on Internal Affairs and National Security has given a positive assessment of the bill and chairwoman Djurdja Adlesic said the committee would organise a debate on the bill between the two readings. (hina) rml