Central celebration of Police Day in Katowice
It was not by chance that Commander-in-Chief of the Police, general Jarosław Szymczyk, decided to hold the central celebrations of Police Day this year in the capital of the Silesian Province, Katowice. The reason behind this is that 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the return of part of Upper Silesia to Poland and the establishment of the autonomous Silesian Province, whose security was guarded by the Silesian Province Police until the outbreak of the Second World War. That is why today, from early morning, police officers representing all garrisons and formations in the country gathered at Slawik and Antall Square in Katowice.
The Police of the Silesian Province was an excellently trained formation, accounting for 10 percent of the personnel of all police forces of the entire Second Republic of Poland, and played an important role in the country due to, among other things, the economic importance of Silesia for the State of Poland. During the defensive war of 1939, the police officers of the Silesian Province defended their homeland valiantly, and the battles fought for strategic industries, during which they showed exceptional bravery, became part of the patriotic legend of Silesian September. Unfortunately, after 17 September, they shared the fate of thousands of Poles who - deported deep into the Soviet Union - could not return to their homeland.
Therefore, in appreciation of the efforts of the Silesian police officers, their contribution to laying the foundations of the modern police organisation and at the same time in order to commemorate the toil and efforts of all those who fought for the independence of our homeland, Commander-in-Chief of the Police, general Jarosław Szymczyk, decided to hold the central celebrations of Police Day this year in the capital of the Silesian Province, Katowice.
The ceremony began on 23 July with the laying of a wreath at the Silesian Insurgents Monument. Flowers were laid by: Silesian Governor, the Mayor of the City of Katowice, as well as the Commander-in-Chief of the Police and the Provincial Police Commander in Katowice. This symbolic act commemorated the Silesian Insurgents, many of whom were police officers from the Silesian Province.
At 10.00 a.m. in Katowice, at Slawik and Antall Square, the ceremonies began with a presentation of police units by President Andrzej Duda, assisted by Commander-in-Chief of the Police, general Jarosław Szymczyk. Then, the host of the ceremony welcomed the invited guests, with the President of the Republic of Poland in the first place. The Chief of the Polish Police thanked President Andrzej Duda and ministers, MPs, the Silesian Province Governor, Province Marshal, representatives of trade unions, the clergy and representatives from the world of science, medicine, culture and sport for attending the event.
Once the national anthem was played and the national flag was raised, a minute of silence was observed in remembrance of all the victims of the armed conflict in Ukraine.
President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda, at the request of Minister of the Interior and Administration Mariusz Kamiński, awarded general ranks to six police officers, and the head of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration presented them with general sabres. The following colonels were promoted to the ranks of major generals of the Polish Police:
• Adam CIEŚLAK - Commander of the Central Cybercrime Bureau;
• Waldemar WOŁOWIEC - Provincial Police Commander in Radom;
• Dariusz MATUSIAK - Provincial Police Commander in Rzeszów;
• Jarosław PASTERSKI - Provincial Police Commander in Gorzów Wielkopolski;
• Dariusz ZIĘBA - Commander of the Central Counter-Terrorist Police Unit BOA;
• Iwona KLONOWSKA - Commander Rector of the Police Academy in Szczytno.
Following the presentation of general nominations, President Andrzej Duda awarded state and ministerial medals. The Commander-in-Chief of the Police was awarded the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta - an honour and acknowledgement for the entire formation. Minister of the Interior and Administration Mariusz Kamiński, assisted by the Commander-in-Chief of the Police, awarded police officers and police employees with ministerial distinctions, in recognition of their special merits in protecting people and maintaining security and public order.
This ceremony was followed by the officer promotion of the graduates of the Police Academy in Szczytno.
The laureates of the "Police Officer Who Helped Me" competition were presented with statuettes and congratulatory letters by Commander-in-Chief of the Police, general Jarosław Szymczyk.
Another highlight of the ceremony was the solemn oath of the police officers of the Katowice Provincial Police Headquarters, which was received by their superior - Provincial Police Commander in Katowice, major general Roman Rabsztyn.
The attendees of the ceremony were addressed by President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, who in his speech extended his gratitude, addressed to all Polish police officers: I would like to thank you for your dedication in service to the Republic. I wish to thank you for your day-to-day effort of service to your compatriots, to all of us, to Poland. May I thank you for your exceptionally decent and professional representation of us abroad, wherever you do your duty, as mandated by the Republic of Poland, as in the case of Lithuania. I would also like to thank you for the your continuous readiness and vigilance, which have been recently raised due to the wave of refugees from Ukraine, with regard to all possible and actual threats resulting from the fact that there is a war going on just across our border.
Minister of the Interior and Administration, Mariusz Kamiński, also addressed the audience and appreciated the performance of the Polish Police: The state agencies, all structures of the Polish state, stand the test of successful performance. The Polish Police passes this test excellently. Perfectly. With tangible, extremely significant results for the security of the state and its citizens. It was you, together with the Border Guard officers, together with the soldiers of the Polish Army, shoulder to shoulder, who defended the integrity of our eastern border, our border with Belarus.
Once the honoured guests had delivered their speeches, an official parade took place, after which the commander of the ceremony reported to the President of the Republic of Poland the conclusion of the ceremony.
After the event, the further part of the central celebrations of Police Day moved to Gliwice. There, a family picnic was held first, and at 3 p.m., a football match between the Polish and Romanian police teams was played at the Piotr Wieczorek Municipal Stadium.
