Among those honored was a Bolesławiec police officer from the Prevention Department – Asp. Wojciech Jaskot (pictured in the header photo: in the first row, fourth from the left), who helped save a woman intending to commit suicide.
Until then, various institutions and residents had few opportunities to recognize police officers who had genuinely distinguished themselves in service. At the beginning of December the previous year, Deputy Minister of the Interior and Administration Jarosław Zieliński sent a letter to the heads of subordinate services, including the then Chief Commander of the Police, informing them that the ministry had allocated awards for police officers totaling nearly one million złoty.
The letter stated:
Please include in the nominations for recognition officers who have achieved exceptional accomplishments in service, and in particular those who have demonstrated bravery and performed acts showing above-average courage, effectiveness and initiative in carrying out their duties.
These guidelines left no room for a subjective assessment of merit – what mattered was a concrete achievement. Thus, an award was not given to someone who had earned the favor of their superior if they had not done something outstanding in service. Such officers can be found primarily on the front line, where they save human lives every day, putting their own at risk.
But that was not the only change introduced by the ministry’s new leadership. For the first time, institutions and individuals outside the police were also given the opportunity to nominate candidates for awards.
KWP Wrocław/KPP Bolesławiec/ii