"We need more cops," Gerashchenko says / facebook.com/mvs.gov.ua

Ukraine's Deputy Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko has said the patrol police in the capital city of Kyiv are undermanned by 34%.

"Today we have a 34% shortage in Kyiv's patrol police, out of 2,000 patrol officers. Taking into account those who are on sick leave or on vacation, they lack half of police officers," the official said, addressing a rally cyclists set up outside the Interior Ministry to highlight road safety issues.

Activists spoke up amid the recent fatal road accident where a speeding driver killed two cyclists on the Brest-Litovsk highway, an UNIAN correspondent reports.

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"The patrol officers we train, and want them to work well make UAH 12,400 (US$533) a month. The salary of a bus driver is UAH 17,000-18,000 (US$730-US$773)... Therefore, many patrol police officers, whose job is not so easy, just don't want to continue working like that," Gerashchenko said.

In this regard, the official said the ministry hopes Ukraine's budget next year will be over-executed and salaries will be increased of patrol police officers.

"We need more cops," the official said.