On 1 January, 2010 the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Mari El and the Regional public organization “Human being and Law” started implementing a new joint large-scale inter-regional project entitled “Militia of Russia from the service.”

The main objective of the project is to promote a transformation of militia from force structure to the structure that serves the society, to improve police interaction with society.

In accordance with recent events of December when the President of the Russian Federation Dmitriy Medvedev has signed a decree “About measures on improvement of the activity of the Departments of the Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation”, the project is especially important and deserves special attention. According to Dmitriy Medvedev’s words:  ”people want to be protected by militia officers and trust them.”

The project “Militia of Russia from force to service” covers three regions of Russia: the Republic of Mari El, Perm Region and Komi Republic and it is supported by the European Commission. At the first stage of the project partner organizations (Amnesty International, the Fund “Public Verdict” (Moscow), Centre of Civic Education and Human Rights of Perm and Komi Human Rights Commission “Memorial”) will develop 7 public opinion surveys on the level of public trust to different categories of police: duty departments, militia officers, minor’s cases department, patrol force, traffic militia, investigators, operating officers.

Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Mari El, general-major of militia Artem Hohorin supported the project “Militia of Russia from force to service”.

Within the frames of the project Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights will render valuable assistance, the personnel have excellent practical experience in conducting campaigns to protect the public interest. During implementation of the project various activities will be held: informing the public about the role and functions of the police, hotlines, public reception, special contests, which will be aimed at assessing the most successful staff, seminars, round tables.

- Willingness of the personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to take part in the project shows that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has an interest in reforming the system itself. – considers a cochairman of RPO “Human being and Law” Sergey Poduzov. – The joint project will allow the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to take the experience of the staff work of other European countries.
The project “Militia of Russia from force to service” will be the most large-scale project among other projects, implemented during 5 years of cooperation RPO “Human being and Law” and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Mari El.