He was born in 1967 in the village of Baizak (formerly San-Tash) in the Tyup district and is a trained veterinarian.
“I graduated from school in the village of San-Tash in 1982, and then served in the Soviet Army in an engineering unit located in Aralsk, Kazakhstan. From 1986 to 1988, I studied at the Issyk-Kul Agricultural College. However, I worked in my specialty for only six months, after which, by the direction of the state farm, I joined the police — in the quarantine battalion,” T. Ongorbekov shared.
He noted that many are curious about how a veterinarian could become a police officer.
“The quarantine battalion was responsible for guarding areas where epidemiological problems arose and carried out necessary measures. I worked there until 1992, until the battalion was disbanded. Then I became a driver in the Internal Affairs Department of the Tyup district, later transferring to the Traffic Police. From 1996 to 2005, I held the position of senior instructor in Cholpon-Ata, and from 2005 to 2013, I worked in the Traffic Police of the Ak-Suu district, where I retired as a supervisor,” he added.
Tynchtykbek recalled one incident from his service practice:
“In 1994, in a hotel in the city of Karakol, two young men killed a person. After that, they got into a taxi, drove to the village of Mikhailovka, where they killed the taxi driver and hung his body on a tree. Then they stole a car in Tokmok, where they were detained by a special group as a result of operational work. When they were arrested, the father of one of the detainees arrived. At that time, only officials drove ‘Volga 31’ cars. The father, who held a high position, stated: ‘My son must be held accountable for his actions.’ We expected him to defend his son, but it turned out that he wanted him to answer for his deeds,” Ongorbekov noted.
He also added that many police officers, immersed in their work, do not notice how their children grow up.
“During business trips, wives often found out about our absence only when we were already gone. We notified the duty station or communicated through colleagues. At that time, there were no mobile phones to quickly inform our spouses. Some business trips lasted weeks and months. I have four daughters, and when I was asked about my children, I could only say their ages, but I didn’t know what grade they were in. Work in the Traffic Police has always been stressful. In the past, drivers who had been drinking did not get behind the wheel, knowing they could get caught. Nowadays, many drive under the influence and start behaving aggressively towards inspectors, filming everything on cameras. Despite the tightening of laws, responsible drivers have become fewer, and many ignore traffic rules, leading to traffic jams,” he shared.
T. Ongorbekov continues to actively participate in public life despite his retirement.
“I retired as the head of the Traffic Police of the district and now participate in preventive measures with young inspectors and meetings with teenagers,” he reported.
Tynchtykbek added that he has several awards, including badges of honor ‘Aзамат’ of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degrees, the title of excellent worker of the Traffic Police, as well as the medals ‘Эмгек каарманы’ and ‘Эл сыймыгы.’
He currently has four grandchildren.
