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Khodorkovsky: Law Enforcement in Russia Should Be Cut, Motivated to Fight Real Crime
Interfax - 4.17.12 - JRL 2012-72

MOSCOW. April 17 (Interfax) - Former Yukos head Mikhail Khodorkovsky has insisted that the number of law enforcement officers in Russia should be reduced and they should be motivated to honestly fight real crime.

Map of Russia
file photo
"Law enforcement agencies should be relatively small in number, should be well equipped technically, be motivated well for stable and honest work and be engaged only in fighting real crime and dangerous violations of law and order rather than serve as a tool for forcible pressure on society and political opponents," Khodorkovsky said in a so-called "public lecture" published in Novaya Gazeta.

"A liberal opinion confirmed by the record of many countries shows that the people's security is guaranteed more by life conditions than the number of policemen," Khodorkovsky said. "It is well-known than security against criminals in uniforms and others is best where the people are better self-organized and where prevention is the main form of combating offences," he said.

"A law enforcement system excessive in its scale and powers and dependent on a corrupt bureaucracy and is corrupt itself only makes it possible to further accumulate the pressure of steam in society, diverts finances from real problems, increases bureaucracy intolerable in a modern economy and ultimately becomes a threat to security itself. Moreover, excessive special services replace the criminal underworld in pressuring businesses and individuals," he said.

"A high salary making it possible to live a decent lifestyle plays an important role in creating truly law enforcement agencies, that is, those enforcing the law rather than the power of bureaucrats," he said.

"But at the same time, when junior law enforcement officers only beginning their career have incomes two or three times higher than the average in the country and even more so than the income of young teachers, doctors and scientists can hardly be considered normal. Such an approach discredits the very postulate of transition to a knowledge economy and creates absolutely distorted stimuli in the minds of young people choosing the way they will follow in their lives," he said.

Khodorkovsky also touched upon defense spending, "another issue in light of which liberals are criticized for being irresponsible."

"Social-liberals have never questioned the need for spending enough on national defense," Khodorkovsky said. "At the same time, our country's security in the modern world depends first on its economic development, on demography, and on the nation's physical and spiritual health, and only secondly does it depend on how this potential is realized, including in our armed forces," he said.

"A weak country will have a weak army. Patriotism, love for one's homeland and willingness to defend it is absolutely not something alien to a modern liberal," Khodorkovsky said.

Keywords: Russia, Police, Crime - Russian News - Russia

 

MOSCOW. April 17 (Interfax) - Former Yukos head Mikhail Khodorkovsky has insisted that the number of law enforcement officers in Russia should be reduced and they should be motivated to honestly fight real crime.

Map of Russia
file photo
"Law enforcement agencies should be relatively small in number, should be well equipped technically, be motivated well for stable and honest work and be engaged only in fighting real crime and dangerous violations of law and order rather than serve as a tool for forcible pressure on society and political opponents," Khodorkovsky said in a so-called "public lecture" published in Novaya Gazeta.

"A liberal opinion confirmed by the record of many countries shows that the people's security is guaranteed more by life conditions than the number of policemen," Khodorkovsky said. "It is well-known than security against criminals in uniforms and others is best where the people are better self-organized and where prevention is the main form of combating offences," he said.

"A law enforcement system excessive in its scale and powers and dependent on a corrupt bureaucracy and is corrupt itself only makes it possible to further accumulate the pressure of steam in society, diverts finances from real problems, increases bureaucracy intolerable in a modern economy and ultimately becomes a threat to security itself. Moreover, excessive special services replace the criminal underworld in pressuring businesses and individuals," he said.

"A high salary making it possible to live a decent lifestyle plays an important role in creating truly law enforcement agencies, that is, those enforcing the law rather than the power of bureaucrats," he said.

"But at the same time, when junior law enforcement officers only beginning their career have incomes two or three times higher than the average in the country and even more so than the income of young teachers, doctors and scientists can hardly be considered normal. Such an approach discredits the very postulate of transition to a knowledge economy and creates absolutely distorted stimuli in the minds of young people choosing the way they will follow in their lives," he said.

Khodorkovsky also touched upon defense spending, "another issue in light of which liberals are criticized for being irresponsible."

"Social-liberals have never questioned the need for spending enough on national defense," Khodorkovsky said. "At the same time, our country's security in the modern world depends first on its economic development, on demography, and on the nation's physical and spiritual health, and only secondly does it depend on how this potential is realized, including in our armed forces," he said.

"A weak country will have a weak army. Patriotism, love for one's homeland and willingness to defend it is absolutely not something alien to a modern liberal," Khodorkovsky said.


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