The Lithuanian government on Wednesday appointed new chiefs for the police, the Public Security Service (VST), and the Fire and Rescue Department (PAGD)
As proposed by the Interior Ministry, Arūnas Paulauskas, interim head of the VST, was appointed commissioner general of the police, Renatas Požėla, the outgoing police chief, was appointed as PAGD director, and Viktoras Grabauskas, a former head of the police anti-terrorist operations unit Aras, as the new head of the VST.
“There is no doubt that our statutory services are very important, but the changes in the geopolitical and security situation have increased their importance even more,” Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė said when presenting the candidates at the cabinet meeting.
“Today I am presenting the heads of the three statutory bodies, who have long experience and the courage to take on the responsibility,” she added.
The heads of all three bodies are appointed for a five-year term.
Following the appointment, Požėla and Grabauskas were granted the rank of internal service general, while Paulauskas received the rank of commissioner general.
Požėla has served as Lithuania’s police commissioner general for the past five years. Before that, from 2015 to 2019, he was the commander of the State Border Guard Service.
Grabauskas has been leading Aras since 2001, serving in the unit for a total of 33 years. Since last year, he has been an adviser to the police commissioner general.
Paulauskas was appointed interim head of the VST in December 2022, having previously served as deputy police commissioner general.
According to the Interior Ministry, the new heads are expected to officially take up their duties after an inauguration ceremony in Vilnius’ Town Hall Square next Monday.
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