MOSCOW. Nov 6 (Interfax) - Russia's Interior Ministry needs not only to improve its performance but also work on strengthening society's trust in the police, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"Citizens judge the effectiveness of the entire law enforcement system largely according to the level of training and quality of work of the police and other Interior Ministry structures. The Interior Ministry needs not only to improve its key performance indicators but also work on strengthening society's trust in its service," Putin said at a meeting with top officers and prosecutors devoted to their promotion and the assigning to them of higher military (special) ranks.
Speaking about the work of a different law enforcement agency, the Russian Guard, Putin said its duties include maintaining law and order at mass events, control over weapons turnover, and protection of infrastructure facilities. "There is a need for clear, coordinated actions on this and other areas," he said.
In his speech, the president additionally spoke about the work of the Federal Penitentiary Service. "The Federal Penitentiary Service needs to ensure observance of law in penitentiary establishments, including through tough selection and boosting the quality of personnel training," Putin said.