Law enforcers have held an end-of-year staff meeting, attended by Rustam Minnikhanov.

(Kazan, January 24, Tatar-inform, Viktoria Osinina). Crime rates in Tatarstan in 2011 were lower than in the previous year, Tatarstan interior minister Asgat Safarov told an end-of-year staff meeting today. Last year, 1,464 criminal acts per 100 thousand population was recorded (1,555 in 2010), which is less than the Russian (1,649) and Volga Federal District (1,628) average. Over the year, 55,318 crimes occurred in the republic, 28,486 of them solved, including 6,869 especially grave ones.

“The number of intended bodily harm with a lethal outcome, assault related to robbery, property theft, illegal drug circulation, extortion and vehicle theft incidents has become smaller. A total of 10,908 grave and especially grave crimes have been recorded, their number going down as well. The situation on the streets and other public places has improved,” the minister reported.

Last year happened to be especially difficult for the law enforcers, since they had to work during the active phase of an internal affairs system reform. The implemented popular assessment proved to be a helpful novelty, Asgat Safarov remarked. A total of 1.5 thousand statements came in from individuals, most of them expressing appreciation. Probes were carried out on negative statements. The reform resulted in sizeable layoffs among the police personnel, which by a quarter increased the workload of each remaining police officer.

Population’s confidence in the law enforcing bodies has increased, while the situation in Tatarstan is for the moment said to be the calmest and most stable in Russia.

Tatarstan President said the reform had been held without complications and implied new social guarantees and requirements. The favourable situation is a guarantee of sustainable economic development. Economy can only progress in a safe society. R. Minnikhanov recalled that a GRP of 1 trillion roubles had once been a dream, but in 2011 the GRP had crossed the mark, totalling 1.25 trillion roubles. He cited some other financial indicators, to testify to the statement.

The governor went on to remind the staff meeting of the responsibility during the upcoming Universiade sporting event. “The team members alone will be 13 thousand, let alone the spectators. We are trying to adopt the entire global experience of holding such big sporting events and we begin to understand how they should be organised,” R. Minnikhanov said.

An attendee at the meeting was Russian deputy internal affairs minister Sergey Bulavin. He said the implemented reform and popular assessment had been very important.

The reform had been necessitated by the new global challenges, including terrorism, extremism, high-technology-related crimes and others, he added. The official lauded the Tatarstan law enforcers’ work.
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