- Mr. Chekalin, the Minister of the Interior recently signed decree no. 700 “On urgent measures to enhance the efficiency of city, area, and transport Police units”. The document states that the decree’s adoption was prompted by the Minister’s visits to Police agencies in different areas of the Russian Federation in July and August 2005 and also by the findings of the Ministry’s inspection committees and teams. What did the Ministry’s inspection committees rely on in their recent work? How were regions selected for inspection?

- The most common way to assess the performance of regional law enforcement agencies and see how well they accomplish the tasks they have been assigned is to inspect their efforts in every field within their domain and to look for measures to boost efficiency. Inspections are regular and occur, as a rule, once in five years. Once a check has been completed, the agency will have time to rectify the situation and fix the shortcomings that have been found. The implementation of corrections proceeds under the control of the Ministry of the Interior of Russia. A year later, another check will be carried out to evaluate the progress. If the agency receives an unsatisfactory mark or the criminal situation gets worse, the unit will be watched closely and receive practical assistance. Eight Police agencies have met this fate this year. 

The MOI of Russia has been moving its emphasis from administrative and organizational activities towards the key element of the law-enforcement network, lower-level Police agencies.

Although it still has some difficulties to resolve at the federal level, the Ministry’s leadership has made a decision to visit regional units as often as possible and examine all existing problems from the inside. Visiting territorial Police agencies can prompt many solutions and important decisions. Therefore, the Minister has traveled to several territorial units, meeting their staff and acquainting himself with the way, in which their work is organized. The MOI leadership contemplates making such visits more frequent, singling out the regions where the criminal situation has deteriorated or its stabilization requires the involvement of MOI senior officials.  

- The list of flaws of regional Police offices is a page and a half long and mentions practically every aspect of the territorial units’ activities, particularly public security. It looks as if what territorial offices need is not simple improvement but a total overhaul. Which links of the territorial networks have proved to be the weakest? Do the trends differ from one region to another? 

- It is quite logical that most of the problems afflicted public security agencies. These agencies work with people directly. It is absolutely correct to say that work needs major adjustments. 

Our compatriots assess the level of their security on the basis of very simple criteria – what is going on in the streets, in the yards, on the roads, and in public places. Police presence there is the best preventive factor. We are now making plans to augment the public security force. 

In this respect, the Ministry has already implemented a set of measures. The patrol force was increased. The patrolling principles and tactics are being optimized; video surveillance systems are being installed; more than 33 000 phone lines that provide citizens with direct access to a Police officer have been set up. These systems have been tested in the cities of Perm, Tumen, Omsk, Saint Petersburg, and Korolev, which is near Moscow. We plan to expand the geography of these assistance mechanisms.  

Mobile Police stations are revived within a new organizational basis. We believe this is a very promising undertaking. 

Training programs for Police patrols have undergone serious changes. 

With a view to revive the general and individual crime prevention programs, we have been encouraging people to set up teams that would be able to provide real help in maintaining law and order. Such volunteer teams have grown to number 300 000. They helped to solve more than 4 000 cases and prevent 500 000 minor offences last year alone. We are determined to gain momentum and keep getting law-enforcement agencies closer to people.   

The idea to revive programs aimed at preventing juvenile delinquency has prompted a totally new institution, a body of school Police inspectors, which number almost 1 500 at the moment.  They ensure law, order, and security for students, run prevention programs, hold classes. They interact with teachers and parents. As this institution develops, we hope that the relationships between students that account for the bulk of juvenile crime and the Police will become healthier. 

We are also searching for new, innovative technologies that would revive effective crime prevention programs. Working towards the goals outlined by the President of the Russian Federation in his address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of the Interior has developed a new model of a four-level crime prevention system for municipalities, city and village regions, cities that consist of several districts, and other administrative entities within the Russian Federation. 

At the same time, there are enough problems within this key field.

Today, about every other murder is a domestic-disturbance murder, committed by individuals in an intoxicated condition. Juvenile delinquency is growing; nothing is being done to assist those who have been released from prison to reenter normal life. A considerable number of these individuals become second-time offenders. In the streets and busy city centers, patrols remain few, although these places are most prone to crime.  

Liaisons between Police agencies and municipality governments have not become strong enough in the law enforcement field yet.  Police agencies have instituted a considerable number of counter-crime programs at different levels, which, in most of the regions, have been financed either insufficiently or have not received funding at all. 

Viewing the protection of the citizens’ lives, health, and liberties as its key priority, the MOI of Russia is determined to eliminate violations of the law and record keeping routines.

Several acts have been adopted in this respect; some of them were created in conjunction with the Office of the General Prosecutor of the Russian Federation. These acts envisage tougher control mechanisms and record keeping norms. They also stipulate penalties for failures to record crimes and attempts to falsify national statistics. 

MOI committees have carried out about 100 inspections this year, checking the legality and the record keeping discipline in all of federal districts. Every breach that was uncovered received strict assessments and an appropriate response. 

In all, 26 300 officers, 4 000 of who were senior officials, were penalized, some even fired from the Police.  

These measures have helped us to decrease the number of complaints about the officers’ use of illegal practices by 50 %. We are prepared to continue to fight against such practices just as fiercely as before, in close cooperation with human rights and non-governmental groups. 

The Ministry’s efforts have had profound effect on crime statistics of 85 regions.

However, as one may guess, the Ministry does not see objective and full crime record keeping as an end in itself. Where the key principle of justice – the inevitability of punishment – is not observed, this goal turns into utter farce and its attractiveness vanishes.  

Unfortunately, this dual task is not easy to accomplish. We, therefore, have to make additional efforts and look for new ways, in line with the functions imposed on the post-reform Ministry. 

One of the new forms of working together with human rights and non-governmental groups is setting up councils to monitor Police activities in terms of human rights. Such councils have already been created in several regions of the Russian Federation. We are going to expand this practice into other Russian provinces. 

The Ministry apparatus alone has held 57 working meetings with representatives of non-governmental groups, associations, communities, ethnic minorities, including an open session with the national committee for interactions with law enforcement agencies, legislative and judicial authorities, the Civil Society NGO and the Public Recognition National Fund. 

The Ministry and the Human Rights Commissioner in the Russian Federation have signed an agreement planning to implement a public cooperation policy that would encourage people to help prevent the violation of the law. We are also ready for an open and a constructive dialogue with all civil society institutions. 

We expect similar stances on cooperation from senior officials in territorial agencies.   

The Ministry also monitors media coverage of Police activities in order to take a closer look and ensure that human rights and liberties are respected. Task forces have strict regulations to follow while carrying out their preventive operations. These preclude any violations of constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens. 

- Having looked at a part of the decree about present developments within lower-level Police units, one may come to wonder how these agencies manage to carry on with their duties at all under such conditions, in the absence of the most essential forces and means? How do they manage to fight against crime and maintain public order?

- The Russian law enforcement network is famous for its traditions that have been evolving throughout its long history, affecting Police officers’ training and education. There exists an institution of coaches that engages highly-professional practicing specialists. Our network also has a huge scientific potential. We have seen instances of patriotism and valor in the course of counterterrorist operations as well as in day-to-day encounters. 

The poor logistics of Russian Police agencies notwithstanding, our Police forces are statistically more effective than their counterparts in some Western countries. The Ministry seeks to improve their expertise. Thus, in 2005 alone, the federal budget allocations grew 17 % or USD 10.5 billion in rubles. The most of these additional funds have been used for investigations and bigger arms and equipment supplies. About 8 billion rubles, or USD 280 million, are going to be allocated for a technical upgrade of Police departments. 

The government defense order envisages purchasing more vehicles, radio systems, and computer systems. Purchases of forensic and special equipment have been increased too. They will be supplied to Police agencies as soon as possible. The expenditures for these purposes are expected to go up further in 2006. 

We know how important it is to use the potential of a 50 000-men-strong local Police units in a rational way. The Ministry is trying to improve social conditions and logistics for the entire force.

To make up for the low-level wages of territorial Police agencies and MOI troops soldiers, we decided to introduce monthly incentives that would equal a month’s wage, and to increase wages by 11 %. 

- The decree enumerated many problematic areas. What positive developments did the Ministry’s inspections note?

- Despite the shortcomings unveiled in the work of regional agencies, I would like to note that most of the personnel do perform their duties earnestly. 80 % of all agencies checked this year have received positive assessment, which means their performance meets the requirements it should. Apart from that, 3 128 Police officers got state and Ministry awards for the valor and heroism they displayed while apprehending dangerous criminals and working in counterterrorist operation in the North Caucasus region. Four of them were honored with the title of the Hero of the Russian Federation, 229 were awarded the Order of Valor and 1 413 got Medals for Merits in Ensuring Public Order. 322 officers have died and 4 228 have sustained wounds while performing their duties this year. These figures speak a great deal. 

At the same time, Police personnel do have come-and-go people for whom venal interests come first, not their job. We get rid of them. We have fired about 2 000 individuals over this year.   

-  The “armchair style management” used by the Ministry of the Interior, the Police departments in Russian regions, and the transport Police was named the main cause of all misfortunes. It appears that the dilemma is not an isolated case, but a systemic problem. How is it possible to overcome the situation, to make senior officials rearrange their work fundamentally?

- First of all, we are going to reorganize regional Ministries of the Interior, as well as Police departments. Instead of performing the same functions as the central apparatus of the Ministry of the Interior, these local and regional agencies will be put in charge of the key task to prevent, solve, and investigate serious and extremely serious crimes. 

Delineating the responsibilities of the Ministries of the Interior, city and district Police administrations, reducing the overlap of jurisdiction and the number of personnel, as well as developing a brand new approach of assessing their performance would finally leave no room for officials with the armchair work style.

- Decree no. 700 intends to rearrange command and control teams of Police agencies and to reduce their personnel, while increasing the staff of lower-level offices. The document also grants additional powers, including financial ones, to the chiefs of lower Police units. In fact, this decree is a reform program for Police networks. When do you think the program will be implemented and when will its first results arrive?

- It is no secret that the current management system and structure of the Police are inferior to the modern organization models for executives and do not meet budgetary regulatory norms.  Russian Police agencies of all levels are not unified. A considerable part of the management functions are performed by investigation bureaus. 

The number of deputy ministers, chiefs of city and area Police agencies in some regions have reached 10-11 people, which, naturally, weakens the role of a director, diminishing his personal responsibility, breaking the single-director principle, and creating a management mess.  

Hiring more staff for the units that report directly to Regional Ministries of the Interior, Police departments, and other offices means that fewer people and resources are left for lower-level law-enforcement agencies.

Pursuant to the new decree, we are going to bring the staff sizes and the structure of the agencies in line with the actual workload of every staff member associated with uncovering, preventing, solving, and investigating crimes and dealing with current cases. 

We are going to review approximate organization models for the management of Police agencies and units under their direct control. We are also going to do the following:  

- reduce the number of deputy heads to three in the Ministries of the Interior, city and area Police units of entities within the Russian Federation and to two in units under their direct control;

- set up united command and control groups dedicated to a particular field, e.g. criminal Police, public security Police, HR, logistics;

- introduce new staff size limits for units under direct control of the Ministries of the Interior, city and regional Police units of entities within the Russian Federation.

By doing all this, we will channel the released resources to lower-level Police agencies.  

The Minister signed Instruction no. 7 “On Priority Goals of Police Agencies and MOI Troops” on October 24 that provides for the creation of a developmental concept for territorial Police agencies and institutes training programs for lower-level chiefs, which would allow us to raise their performance to the appropriate level. 

These measures constitute only the first step of the Police Development Concept, drawn for the period ending in 2016. 

Implementing the plans and increasing the responsibilities of directors at all levels should allow us to attain tangible positive results in law enforcement in the near future.