1. Background
State Border Guard of the Republic of Latvia is law enforcement authority under supervision of the Ministry of the Interior. The legal basis of State Border Guard’s activity, its tasks, functions and competence states the Border Guard Law. The main task of the State Border Guard is to protect the state border, not to allow persons, goods and vehicles to cross the state border illegally.
The State Border Guard has the Headquarters (Central Board) located in Riga, Rudolfa Str.5, and 9 territorial (regional) boards which are located in bigger cities close to the state border as well as one educational institution – State Border Guard’s College. Each of the territorial boards has its own headquarters in cities and immigration and borderguarding units located directly at the state border. The person can be a border guard if he/she is a citizen of Latvia, he/she has secondary education, he/she has state language knowledge on a highest level and he/she is at least 18 years old. The general number of employees of the State Border Guard is approximately 3000 people including servants with special ranks and civil servants. About 300 of them are working in the Central Board. The Central Board is the main unit of the State Border Guard which develops strategic activity’s plans and gives orders to the regional boards how to act in possible situations.
The structure of the Central Board and regional boards is different and opportunities of career growth are different, too. If it is difficult to get higher post in the Central Board, then in regional boards it is even more difficult. First special service rank which is given to person when coming to service is the private s…