In the run-up to the New Year holidays the President ordered the law enforcement officers to “focus on ensuring public order”.
The police officers of the city of Turkmenabat (formerly, Chardjou) took the instruction very responsibly as 113 detainees spent the New Year’s Eve in a special designated detention facility designed to accommodate 30 people, according to correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan”.
The law enforcement authorities were operating in a tightened security mode.Additional police squadrons from the entire province, which patrolled the city streets round-the-clock and worked in a 12 hour shifts with short breaks, were deployed in Turkmenabad on 30 December, 2019.
Police officers randomly checked the residents’ IDs.Young men who behaved in an extremely joyful manner aroused the interest, but, according to eye witnesses, police officers approached other residents with no apparent cause.
If a resident did not have any ID, he was placed into a police van. The detainees were subsequently transported to the police departments.
The detainees were kept in the specially designated detention facility, located near the second police department of Turkmenabad until the morning of 1 January and were released only after they had paid a fine of 150 manats.
Local Turkmenabad police officers patrolled the city centre where the large-scale events were held at the main square with the Christmas tree and video footage was made for the television. Only the participants of the festivities were allowed to access the New Year celebrations venue whereas ordinary residents were denied access.
6 criminal cases were initiated and 5 road traffic accidents were recorded on the New Year’s Eve in Turkmenabad.