Избранные труды

The public appraises the militia activity otherwise than the state authority

I think that an image of the Russian militia formed in the public’s eyes as an obedient agent of one of the branches of the power (an executive one) is a deviation from the international legal standards with regards to the functions of the police and to the police and power relations[517] but it promotes to a great extent the estrangement of the both of them (the police and the power) from the public.

The subordination of almost all the Russian police divisions and services to the Central power has the same negative effect on the relations with the public.

Speaking here on the deviation from the international legal standards in Russia I cannot undertake to affirm that they are followed strictly in all the rest countries.

2.1. The negative effect of unforeseen consequences of official improvements on the relations between the police and public[518] (5, p. 110 to 117).

For any great structural change in the activity of the law enforcement bodies one should foresee both the nearest and more distant future results, any operative and social consequences.

In the seventies a number of considerable reforms in the militia system took place. These were the formation of movable militia groups, almost a complete substitution of street posts by patrols, the increase of the quantity of motor vehicles in the militia, the introduction of militiamen on active service.

Along with some obvious operative benefits of any of these reforms all of them in the long run and in total had a negative influence on the relations between the police and the public.

Under their influence the relations between a militiaman and a citizen change from partially private or personal (the relations between Ivan and Peter) to absolutely official ones (the relations between a militia man and a citizen).

The improvement of the educational level of district militia officers also resulted unexpectedly. (In 1965 there were opened Higher Militia Schools of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs for training district militia officers with higher education. Though that specialization did not last for a long time.) District militia officers with higher educational standard were promoted. A greater number of them was admitted to criminal investigation departments. Some officers left their district service because of that service rushing from preventive measures to field supervision.

As a result the number of district militia officers who knew their districts and residents quite well and who were known in their districts reduced greatly. Here is again the change from intrapersonal relations to official ones.

I am not quite sure that many Russians know today their district militia officer. I do not know ours either. But out of my childhood I remember a militiaman who stood on point duty near my grandfather’s house in Mariupol.

2.2. The relations between the militia and the public are different for different services and for various public groups.

In particular, the public assessment of the public security militia and the criminal militia service is quite different. But the public majority does not distinguish investigators in its opinion. It distinguishes greatly state traffic safety inspectors and gives less prominence to officers of departments for combatting the organized crime.

Some special militia subdivisions such as well-known OMON[519] (special-purpose militia detachment) and others make rather a contradictory contribution to the relations between the militia and the public.

Teenagers, young people subjected previously to criminal proceedings and drivers are the most critical public groups towards the militia.

As the majority of journalists drive cars it cannot but affect the mass media’s attitude to militiamen. I have verified the fact of prejudice by the method of concealed interview.

2.3. The multiplication of a staff number in the law-enforcement bodies, including the polices, typical for the state structure of recent years has perhaps also a negative influence on the relations between the militia and the public.

2.4. Judging by documents the RF Ministry of Internal Affairs is aware of the problematic situation availability. Since the second half of 1994 the All-Russia Research Institute has been submitting quarterly the data of public opinion analysis including the public appraisal of the militia and its activity to the Headquarters. The complex program of the RF MIA for forming a positive public opinion on the activity of the law enforcement bodies was elaborated in 1996. Also some other measures are being taken and provisions are being made.