City guards who were the first to reach the scene of the attack in Kraków could not confront the perpetrator, because city guards in Poland do not carry firearms – said Mayor Łukasz Gibała on Tuesday. In his view, it is worth discussing strengthening this formation.
What the mayor of Kraków said
Łukasz Gibała, speaking to Wirtualna Polska, was asked whether police officers should be better armed after Saturday’s shooting. He assessed that the police are well equipped, but said he would discuss strengthening the city guard. He explained that the guards, who were first on the scene and followed the perpetrator, were unable to confront him, because the city guard in Poland does not have firearms. “We can talk about this” – he said.
He added that the question of arming the guards is more a matter for the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, as the ministry is responsible for the regulations governing the formation.
Two minutes for the guards, three for the police
Gibała has been repeating since Saturday that the services reacted quickly. According to his account, city guards were on the scene after two minutes, and police officers after three. He rejected claims that there were no services in the area of the Main Market Square at the moment of the attack. He praised the guards for chasing the armed perpetrator, even though they had no firearms themselves. The police, as he said, had weapons with much lower stopping power than the attacker’s.
The city has already announced commendations. Earlier, the mayor requested honorary citizenship of Kraków for two police officers, Artur Morański and Jakub Kulik, who neutralised the perpetrator. City guards and doctors are to receive Honoris Gratia decorations, and the guards will also receive financial awards.
Security measures and actions of the MSWiA
The city plans to install barriers around the centre. The mayor spoke of an amount of around PLN 6–7 million, and the first barriers are to be put in place still this year. At the same time, he stressed that he would not want Kraków to become a fortress city.
On Monday, a briefing with the ministry’s leadership and services was held at the MSWiA. It was announced that the regulations and procedures for issuing weapon permits will be analysed, as well as the question of updating psychological tests for people who hold weapons. The ministry has so far not presented any proposals to change the armament of city guards.
Context: mourning and march
Kraków is in mourning, which Gibała declared after the attack in the city centre; it remains in effect until 11 November. On Monday evening, a Silent March took place on the Main Market Square, and a condolence book was laid out in the lobby of the City Hall, where people can sign until Wednesday.
