NCJ Number
157584
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 62 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1995) Pages: 16-18
Date Published
1995
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Based on a 2-week exchange program with the Petrozavodsk Police Department (PPD), the author describes crime patterns in PPD's jurisdiction and Russia as a whole, as well as current police practice and training needs.
Abstract
Under the structure of communist society in the former Soviet Union, opportunities for certain crimes did not exist. Now, however, it is possible to bank electronically in Russia, which has led to a dramatic increase in computer crimes, particularly by persons with some degree of computer expertise. The Russian police are developing strategies to combat this type of crime. The recent surge in crime is not due entirely to the westernization of Russian society or the increase in computer crimes; it is also the result of an exponential increase in violent crimes. Since 1985 the reported number of murders and rapes have more than tripled, and the number of reported street crimes has increased tenfold. The newly formed criminal element, the "Russian Mafia," is partly responsible for these crimes. In the larger metropolitan areas of the country, organized crime is as powerful as it was in the United States in the 1920's. These gangs have focused on the extortion of businesses of all sizes, under the threat of murder and property damage. High crime rates in Petrozavodsk can be linked to alcohol abuse to some extent. Alcohol use, primarily vodka, is more prevalent at daily functions than in the United States. Based on policing under the previous regime, the PPD uses highly specialized, intimidating methods. Such methods cause the public to respond submissively to the police, but also alienates the police from citizens and the community. In the area of training PPD needs to address deficiencies in handcuffing techniques, first aid and CPR, AIDS prevention, prisoner restraint, and standard motor vehicle stops.