Speaking on ERR's "Otse uudistemajast" webcast Wednesday, Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) Director Egert Belitšev also said that police officers will receive a pay raise of a few hundred euros next year, road safety measures require political approval, photo booths for document applications will soon be installed outside PPA service centers as well and service fees cannot be imposed at the border for those traveling to Russia.

Belitšev on domestic violence: We're trying to disrupt these patterns

"In my view, one of the core problems is that there's no clear lead agency responsible for this issue," said Egert Belitšev in an in-depth discussion of domestic violence. "There's no one designated to ensure that people can break out of the cycle of abuse."

"Yes, we have some measures in place for victims, but even those are currently insufficient in Estonia. When it comes to dealing with abusers, beyond criminal proceedings, there's very little. If we're talking about addressing violent behavior itself, there are maybe four or five specialists in the entire country who are able to do that work. And there's no enforcement mechanism requiring offenders to complete any kind of program. In short, our legislation has major gaps," he explained.

Belitšev highlighted the difficulty of dealing with offenders struggling with alcohol and other addictions, how they harass victims even without physical violence, the use of social media as a tool of abuse, the trauma experienced by children living in violent households and how these patterns are passed down from one generation to the next.

According to Belitšev, about 10,000 domestic violence cases are officially registered each year in Estonia. However, he added, not all cases are reported to police and broader statistics suggest the real number could be up to eight times higher than what appears in official data.

He also emphasized that many individuals repeatedly come into contact with police due to domestic violence. "We see a lot of cases involving repeat offenders and repeat victims. Aside from the recent case in Nõo, I can cite others — for example, one victim has been subjected to violence 19 times this year alone, based on reports made to us. And those are only the cases where the victim either notified us or called the police," he said.

"A third major issue is mental health, which we're seeing worsen in our day-to-day work across the country. These problems are growing. And we don't have good solutions for dealing with them. Whether it's domestic violence cases or other incidents, it's clear that many of the individuals involved are struggling with mental health issues. But we often have nowhere to send them. Alcohol is frequently a factor and if someone is intoxicated, treatment centers won't accept them. So we're left with very limited options for compulsory treatment," Belitšev noted, adding that this situation is frustrating for officers.

"It's the kind of work where, when you arrive at a scene and it's the same repeat clients again, you feel — if I may borrow from the medical world — that you're treating a patient with severe internal bleeding by putting on a Band-Aid. You know the real illness is much deeper," he said.

Belitšev declined to assess whether domestic violence is more common in Estonian- or Russian-speaking households. However, he pointed out that while there are at least a few Estonian-speaking specialists who can work with abusers, there are practically none who can do so in Russian. "Unfortunately, when we already have only a handful of people who are able to work with abusers at all, there are even fewer who can do it in Russian. That means those cases remain unaddressed, even when the person wants help," he said.

When asked whether the PPA has requested any legal changes from the ministry to improve their response, Belitšev pointed to one proposal: extending the restraining order period from the current 12 hours to 72 hours.

Police officers looking at salary hike

Speaking about next year's budget, Belitšev noted that salaries at the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) will increase by an average of €190, while frontline officers — patrol police and border guards — will see a faster rise, earning €280 more per month compared to January of last year.

"We operate on a model where we have exactly enough money for the officers currently on staff and very often we start the year in the red. I know that many agencies pay out performance bonuses at the end of the year, but we haven't done that in recent years. We've focused instead on ensuring that officers' base pay is dignified," he explained.

Only a few officers receive performance bonuses — those who are awarded a service cross or medal at the end-of-year recognition ceremony.

"In reality, there are far more moments when officers put their lives at risk than there are medals handed out," Belitšev added.

Traffic safety measures require political approval

Addressing the newly completed national traffic safety program, which is now headed to the government for approval, Belitšev acknowledged that while the PPA submitted its recommendations, their implementation ultimately depends on political will.

"We've been recommending stronger traffic enforcement measures for years," Belitšev said. "But every one of these measures comes with the caveat that the success of the traffic safety program depends on political will. That means only including actions in the plan that there's an actual intention to carry out. There's no point in drafting a program that sets the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities in Estonia, but includes no commitment to implement the necessary measures."

Belitšev emphasized that the PPA has always provided input on ways to improve road safety but has also consistently stated that everything included in the plan must align with what politicians are actually prepared to do.

"If we look at today's traffic problems, they're not new. It's still the same issues: speeding, intoxication, inattentiveness, failure to use safety equipment. And one problem that has grown significantly in recent years is distractions — people looking at their phones or doing other things while driving, which pulls their attention away from the road," he said.

Asked about speed cameras, which municipalities are also authorized to install, Belitšev responded that the PPA's information systems currently can't support additional devices.

"Right now, we simply don't have the capacity to allow more cameras because our systems are already overloaded. Expanding would require technical upgrades, but funding for those system improvements always seems to get pushed further into the future," he said.

PPA to install passport photo booths in shopping centers

Commenting on a recent incident in which a customer was reportedly redirected from the PPA's Tammsaare tee service hall in Tallinn to the Lasnamäe office due to long lines at the photo booth, Belitšev first pointed out that passport or ID card photos can technically be taken at home, but admitted the process doesn't work particularly well.

"We've been trying to find ways to move these photo kiosks out of our offices and closer to the public — ideally with 24/7 access, including weekends. Having found the resources within our own budget, we'll be launching a pilot project next year," he said. "I won't name the exact locations yet, but starting next year, we'll be placing these kiosks in select Selver supermarkets across Estonia. The goal is to show that people do want the option to take photos and submit fingerprints outside of regular service hours."

"Hopefully, this will help us secure additional funding so we can expand the kiosks to more locations across the country, allowing people to actually take their photos or fingerprints outside of PPA service centers," Belitšev said.

Impossible to charge service fee from those traveling to Russia

Belitšev agreed with host Indrek Kiisler's view that traveling to Russia for tourism right now is disturbing and difficult to understand, unless there are serious family-related reasons. He added that such trips pose a security risk, not only to Estonia but also to the travelers themselves, as Russian authorities could pressure them into providing information against Estonia.

However, he noted that European Union rules do not allow Estonia to charge a fee for such border crossings — money that could otherwise go toward paying the salaries of border guards who have had to process some 800,000 crossings this year alone.

"As for the so-called border crossing fee, I can say without any analysis, right here and now, that it is not compatible with EU law," he stressed.

Belitšev recalled that when Estonia once introduced a border queue registration system, allowing vehicle travelers to book a time slot for €5, the EU launched infringement proceedings against Estonia. "They said it amounted to a border crossing fee, which is not permitted under EU rules," the PPA director said.

He emphasized, however, that Estonia does not allow Russian citizens to enter on tourist visas. At the same time, he pointed out, some EU countries still issue new tourist visas to Russian nationals.

"There are still many EU countries issuing tourist visas to citizens of the Russian Federation. And those citizens, who organize hybrid attacks across Europe, who are actively waging war against Ukraine, who kill Ukrainian civilians every day, are still able to go sunbathing and shopping freely. I think that's the real issue here," he said.

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