Today, on November 10, Russian law enforcement agents celebrate their professional holiday – the Police Day. It’s a tradition of many years to sum up the results, to decorate the distinguished staff, tell the citizens about the achievements and hardships of the police activity.
The police work, especially in recent years, is really very difficult. The challenges that law enforcement faces have become more complicated. In the 90-s the society and state set only one target for the Ministry of the Interior – to combat organized crime that posed a threat to the constitutional values of Russia in the crisis period.
The beginning of the 21st century can be called the stabilization period when everyone, including law enforcement bodies, is to take part in the formation of a modern legal system for the Russian state, in the improvement of public relations, formation of clear and relations secured by the supremacy of law and human rights. It is hard to overestimate the role of the police in this sphere. After the period of “combat” law enforcement bodies should have entered the period of “protection” of constitutional freedoms, rights and legal interests of the population. We cannot say that this has not happened. In recent years the police bodies are trying to comply with the requirements of the modern world and to be more active as a law enforcement instrument of the state, to be more transparent and not to oppose itself to the rest of the society that much.
We cannot deny positive changes in the system of the Ministry of the Interior, the aspiration of many police officers to “serve and protect” the citizens, to be guided in their everyday work by legal regulations, to be responsible in securing the interests of individuals, society and state.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to change everything within a short period of time. The negative image of a police officer that has appeared due to corruption, tortures, police abuse, violent treatment of detainees, lack of attention towards the citizens’ problems, bad manners and incompetence is still preserved. And this image still influences the opinion of Russians and the global community of Russian police. All these facts damage the enforcement activity, society and state.
We are glad that the Ministry of the Interior is conscious of this problem. We are also glad that they take serious steps in order to overcome all this negative factors, the state directs a lot of efforts to strengthen legitimacy, to eliminate extrinsic people and perpetrators from the Ministry of the Interior.
The Ministry of the Interior is to do a lot of time-consuming intense work in order to form modern, civilized and effective law enforcement bodies that enjoy respect in the society.
The police that protects the Constitution, citizens’ rights and freedoms – this is exactly the police we need. That is why we, Russian citizens, are always ready to support the police and give it all possible assistance.
Today, on the day of Russian Police, the Committee against Torture congratulates all Russian policemen on their professional holiday and wishes them success in their undertakings for the benefit of the society, strength and luck, health and wellbeing!