Gabrovo Mayor Urges Prime Minister for Emergency Security Measures.

The mayor of Gabrovo Municipality, Tanya Hristova, has sent an open letter to President Rumen Radev, calling for urgent measures to guarantee public order and security in the city.

In the letter, Hristova says the municipality is facing a serious challenge to the safety and peace of its citizens because of escalating everyday crime, growing ethnic tension and an increasing sense of insecurity.

According to her, practice shows that the lack of consistency and timely response by state institutions creates a sense of impunity, undermines public trust and puts public order at risk.

She notes that the municipality has invested in video surveillance and prevention systems, but they are not sufficiently effective without a police presence.

The letter stresses that the mayor bears daily responsibility to citizens for their security, but does not have the necessary operational powers to counter crime, as these are concentrated in the state law enforcement authorities.

According to Hristova, this creates a mismatch between public expectations of local government and its legal capacity to act.

The mayor is calling for legislative changes that would give municipalities clearer mechanisms for participation, coordination and control in the planning and implementation of public order measures, as well as more effective interaction with Interior Ministry bodies.

Among the proposals is a model under which the heads of Interior Ministry structures responsible for public order at local level would receive legitimacy through direct election by citizens as part of local elections.

In conclusion, Tanya Hristova requests an urgent meeting with the president and the interior minister to discuss concrete measures to stabilise security in Gabrovo Municipality and the necessary legislative changes to strengthen the role of local government in maintaining public order.