Press Service
"Open the door, police!" Deputy Minister of Interior Sergey Bulavin presented draft law "About police" for "The Russian Newspaper"
The Russian Newspaper: Sergey Petrovich, how expensive is renaming the militia to police? We have an experience of renaming GAI (the State Traffic Patrol Company) as GIBDD (the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate). The Ministry had to replace marks on the uniform, plates, forms, and business cards. Are there any assumptions how much the renaming can cost this time?
Sergey Bulavin: For the time being we have not budgeted our expenditures. The law is expected to become operative since January 1, 2011, and there will be a whole year to rename everything. The very process of renaming will take place gradually. Even if we have a plate "militia department" somewhere for quite a long time, this is not a criminal thing. What does matter is how well employees work.
"RN": What will we now have, a police office or a militia station?
Mr. Bulavin: I rather believe there will be a police station. In fact, this is not so important. The main thing is to ensure efficiency of work so that inhabitants of the district feel safe.
"RN": Will special ranks be preserved in the police?
Mr. Bulavin: Yes, we will retain them. They stand for certain stages of service of police employees who should know about the possible prospects of the office activity and the career development. Besides, having special ranks is normal for police bodies in all countries. It is the standard practice, and we have no objective reasons to refuse it.
"RN": Will the new law help restore the trust of people to law enforcement officers?
Mr. Bulavin: It is the overall objective of reforming the system of the Ministry of Interior. Certainly accepting a new law as it is cannot change the attitude to law and order bodies instantly. Much primarily depends on the employees. The citizens should feel themselves protected, they should have work, study and have a rest with due comfort. This is what the main goal of our activity. The new contemporary law will contribute to the achievement of this objective.
"RN": What will significantly change in the work of employees of law enforcement bodies?
Mr. Bulavin: The new law will provide for certain requirements to police employees, their duties and rights as well as prohibitions and restrictions as far as the service is concerned. This together with others measures including those which are being taken or are already taken will help improve the proficiency of law enforcement officers considerably. Those who are not ready for it will have to make a choice between the service in police bodies and a job outside of the system of the Ministry of Interior. But this task should be supported by social guarantees to let the employees of police have a decent living standard.
"RN": Will an ordinary person be able to appeal to the police station on any problem, or will there be a precise restriction: some issues are within, others outside the police competence?
Mr. Bulavin: Practice shows that people appeal to law enforcement bodies on any matter, among them are issues which are frequently outside our competence. The precinct militia officer often performs functions of a militia officer, and a tutor, a psychologist and a legal adviser in one. People appeal to us for help, and we are obliged to render it. Therefore, duty officers at police stations will be recommended to help people out as much as possible.
"RN": Applicants for the service or education are subject to thorough checks including the lie detector. Does it not make an impression that they are distrusted right from the start?
Mr. Bulavin: If you mean the polygraph, it has been in use for a long time both in our practice and in many countries and has already proven its efficiency. If the applicant for service has nothing to hide, he or she would not mind any checks. Besides, we need to check applicants we engage. For example, we check whether he ever was under supervision of militia bodies, whether he had a conviction and other problems with the law. These are minimal and necessary requirements to the inner security.
"RN": Will we have different criteria of assessment of the police activity?
Mr. Bulavin: One of the principal criteria for assessing the work of police units will be the public opinion of citizens living in the territory served by them. Negative feedback from citizens can constitute a ground for dismissing an employee from police bodies. Now each head will be obliged to ensure tough control over the subordinates' activity.
"RN": How do you intend to study the public opinion?
Mr. Bulavin: There are different ways and methods of monitoring. There are a lot of independent sociological services who perform opinion polls. Certainly, results of social researches and opinion polls performed by specialized organizations will be taken into consideration. We will analyze the citizens' statements and claims. We can also use private research methods, our own social research procedures. If we see that citizens feel safe, this is what proves us the good work of the head of a territorial police body.
"RN": What social guarantees are provided for by the bill?
Mr. Bulavin: We have preserved everything there was in the active law "About militia". It is a constitutional provision: one should now enact laws which cancel rights of citizens provided for by another federal law. The President of the Russian Federation D.A. Medvedev made a decision to prepare and enact a separate law which will regulate conditions of financial allowance of employees and the whole range of privileges and social guarantees.
"RN": Looking through the bill I did not see anything about the maintenance of safety in the transport sphere but for the aircraft. Will the police protect railways, waterways?
Mr. Bulavin: The bill provides for the general function of the police as the power which counteracts to all crimes inclusive of the transport sphere. Certainly, the transport police will continue doing the job. The reason for this incompleteness is that we are bringing it up to date. We have built up a more optimal authority which is better in line with the goals of efficient maintenance of the public order and the counteraction to criminality.
"RN": Where will employees end up after reductions and dismissals? Will they be just thrown out on the street? After all, they are experienced, competent and courageous people who have gone through every mill. Is there a program providing for professional rehabilitation of these people to help them be integrated into the civil life?
Mr. Bulavin: Such people should not be thrown out on the street at all, using your wording. If people are fair and decent, if they are true experts, why should we get rid of them? We will not dismiss skilled and fair experts. We are going to get rid of those who break laws, who do not wish to progress. As for the social adaptation after the dismissal, we have a special committee headed by deputy Minister of Interior Sergey Gerasimov. It will handle issues of employment of the people subject to dismissal.
"RN": You have published the bill "About police". The people will now submit their suggestions. When will you discuss and summarize them?
Mr. Bulavin: Till September 15, we are collecting the information. We have already received thousands of messages with various suggestions. People eagerly discuss the bill, we are analyzing the information as fast as possible. We have an organizing committee and our advisory council to help us. Also, the Legal Department of the Ministry where highly skilled lawyers work will join the process of completion of the bill. After the discussion is finished, we will group the suggestions and produce a report to the head of the state.
"RN": Would you also inform our readers?
Mr. Bulavin: Certainly, after the report I will come to the editorial office and tell the readers about the results of discussion and the results of the meeting with the President
"The Russian newspaper": Federal issue no. 5257 (178) as of August 12, 2010
