In the fight for reputation

Vladimir Putin heard a report from loyal police officers

The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Boris Gryzlov, yesterday, for the first time as the country's chief police officer, held such an important event as summing up the work of his department in the outgoing year. Considering that his appointment to this post in the spring was of particular political significance and marked, without exaggeration, the beginning of a “new era” for the police, Vladimir Putin personally came to support his former comrade-in-arms in party battles at the headquarters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on Zhitnaya, 16. However, the president did not limit himself to support alone and, opening an extended meeting of the ministry’s board, in his speech he indicated new strategic tasks to law enforcement officers. In total, five of them were identified: ensuring the security of individuals and society, combating terrorism and extremism, ensuring a “favorable business climate in the country,” combating drug trafficking (Mr. Putin characterized this area as the fight “for the survival of the nation”) and control over migration processes (as you know, several months ago in Russia the migration service was abolished, and its functions were transferred to the police).

The president's instructions to the leaders of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and their response statements were regarded by many observers in this department as a delicate adjustment to the course of reforms proclaimed by Boris Gryzlov shortly after his arrival. Until now, speaking about ongoing and planned changes, the minister and his team usually paid special attention to establishing or even restoring the normal operation of the most “mundane” police services - precinct, patrol units, etc. This was explained by the fact that it was on their shoulders that the main burden of maintaining order lay, and it was they, most often communicating with ordinary citizens, who formed the attitude of society towards the Ministry of Internal Affairs. As is known, the police have had big problems with their reputation among ordinary Russians in recent years: concealment of crimes, “protection protection” and simply banal rudeness of police officers have become as normal for people as rain. Against the backdrop of the end of this entire legacy, the minister himself and his assistants did not particularly indulge the operational services involved in more “special” and in-depth investigations.

However, the president, noting all these points as extremely important, made it clear in his speech that the importance of services for combating economic crimes, organized crime, drug trafficking, etc. should be diminished. It's also not worth it. And he stopped in each direction separately, indicating exactly how the operatives should act. Thus, Vladimir Putin called one of the priorities in decriminalizing the economy the fight “against administrative arbitrariness and pressure on business from unscrupulous officials” and employees of the special services themselves. And he especially noted that “only a forceful, frontal fight against organized crime, drug trafficking, and corruption will not give a decisive result,” and these problems must be solved with the participation of scientists who must “seriously engage in research into the phenomenon of modern crime.”

In general, the president gave a somewhat ambiguous assessment of the work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, from the point of view of an ordinary policeman. On the one hand, he said that the ministry has not yet been able to stem the crime wave - in just 11 months, 2.7 million crimes have already been registered, and at the same time, detection rates are falling sharply. On the other hand, he once again called on the police not to put “citizens’ statements under the carpet” and to record all crimes. The president said that “there’s nothing wrong with that,” “even if the detection rate drops.”

Boris Gryzlov himself, having apparently agreed in advance on the tone of the meeting, with knowledge of the matter unusual for a civilian minister, also criticized his subordinates for their sluggishness in the fight against corruption; regarding drugs, he even announced the planned “operational penetration into drug structures” and the introduction of special control over banks and firms, involved in drug proceeds."

Speaking about the development of reform in the coming year, the minister announced a new series of planned changes. Already from January 1, a new system of control over police accounting discipline will begin to be tested in seven regions as an experiment. In addition, it was proposed to introduce a system of “special control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs” over individual regional departments. If during the year of such control the work of the Internal Affairs Directorate is considered unsatisfactory, both the head of the Internal Affairs Directorate and the ministry official who initiated and supervised the “control” may lose their posts (for failing to correct the situation). The minister also said that he is considering the issue of reducing the paperwork of police officers in order to free them from routine bureaucratic work - this, by the way, is something that employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have really been dreaming about in recent years.

Victor PAUKOV