Aleh Vouchak: Only Cheifs And Their Deputies To Remain In MIA

The riot of police officers in Barysau is only a small part of the whole system.

Not so long ago the website Charter97.org told about the problem that arose in the Barysau police department, where in the past month five people wrote letters of resignation. They told that the paperwork and ratio indicators, which the leadership required to achieve, forced them to quit.

The human rights activist and former law enforcement officer Aleh Vouchak explained Radio Racyja why the work of police officers is devaluated.

– First of all, I must say that it is not the chief of a district police department who decides how to conduct a policy of a law enforcement agency. The instructions to achieve certain ratios come from above, and this is done by the old method - the "stick approach."

We, human rights activists, constantly say that this approach must be abandoned, but nothing changes. Police officers must ensure that a certain number of people is brought to administrative responsibility, etc. If a police officer fails to do so, then he should work in his spare time as well.

Naturally, a conflict situation develops, and the story in Barysau is only a small part of the overall system. And ordinary police officers are hostages in such a situation. They do not even have their own trade unions that could help to defend workers' rights. Therefore, the police officers remain alone with their problems.

By the way, according to some information, there is a 30-40% shortage of district militiamen in regions. It would be natural to care of each worker, but, as we see, the system works according to its old laws. If this continues, only chiefs and their deputies will soon remain in the police departments.

– And why doesn't the higher militia leadership listen to those problems that are raised by the lower classes?

– Because in this case it will be necessary to break down the whole system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and nobody wants to do this. It's easier to dismiss a person - that's all. No person - no problem. I have already said more than once that we need to reform the Ministry of Internal Affairs.