Breath-test policy for police

Slovakia's police are under fire from citizens angry that 27 officers have been involved in drink-driving accidents so far this year.

Six people, including a mother and her toddler, have died in accidents involving intoxicated officers. Although the officers were off-duty at the time of the crashes, and all have been fired, the Interior Ministry has threatened a more sweeping crackdown. "When policemen who should be watchdogs of laws break them and drive like this in public ... it's viewed very sensitively," ministry spokesman Jozef Sitar said.

In the first eight months of this year, 1,664 alcohol-related automobile accidents were reported in this Central European country of 5.4 million, where alcoholism remains widespread.