The number of police officers is proposed to be reduced threefold: how many law enforcement officers currently work and what the initiative entails
The issue of the number of law enforcement agencies in Ukraine has long been a subject of public debate. It became especially acute after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, when calls to review the number of security personnel and increase the mobilization resource for the Defense Forces began to be heard more frequently.
On social networks and in public discussions, citizens have repeatedly expressed the opinion that some law enforcement officers could join the defense of the country, while maintaining law and order inside the state should be optimized.
At the same time, another position is that even under martial law, the state must maintain a sufficient number of law enforcement officers to ensure public safety, investigate crimes, respond to emergencies, document war crimes, and maintain law and order both in rear and frontline regions.
Why the National Police oppose mass mobilization of law enforcement officers
Deputy Head of the National Police Andriy Nebytov stated that mass mobilization of police officers could lead to a personnel shortage, increased response times to calls, and a worsening criminal situation.
According to him, currently nearly 9,000 National Police officers perform combat tasks directly at the front. About 34,000 law enforcement officers serve in frontline regions, where they ensure public safety, document war crimes, evacuate the population, and perform other tasks under wartime conditions.
How many police officers work in Ukraine
As of early 2026, about 100,000 certified police officers serve in Ukraine. This is significantly less than the maximum staff number of 141,330 positions approved by the government in 2023.
Some personnel perform combat tasks or work in frontline regions, while others maintain law and order in the rear, respond to calls, investigate criminal offenses and cybercrimes. Approximately a quarter of the personnel are women, and over 13,000 police officers are young employees under 25 years old.
Meanwhile, a petition has been registered on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, whose author proposes conducting an independent audit of the number of employees of law enforcement agencies and executive authorities.
The appeal states that based on the results of such an audit, it is necessary to develop a plan for the phased reduction of excessive positions with the subsequent redistribution of budget funds to priority areas of state development.
The author of petition No. 41/010218-26ep claims that, in his opinion, there is an excessive presence of police officers in the public space, while citizens often face delays in case consideration, formal responses, inaction, and, according to him, unlawful stops and checks. The author believes this negatively affects the level of trust in state institutions.
What changes are proposed
The petition text proposes:
- to conduct an open audit of the number of police and executive authority employees involving independent experts;
- to publish a comparative analysis of the ratio of law enforcement officers to the population in Ukraine and European Union countries;
- to develop a plan for the phased reduction of law enforcement personnel by at least three times;
- to direct the freed budget funds to increase employee salaries, digitalize public services, and develop mechanisms for citizen participation in the legislative process;
- to introduce transparent criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of law enforcement officers, focused on the real protection of citizens' rights.
The author notes that the initiative aims to increase the efficiency, transparency, and level of trust in government bodies, as well as to form a more compact and accountable system of public administration.
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