| Militia (From Latin: militia – “army” or the name of the people’s volunteer corps) - earlier in the USSR and other socialist countries, now in the Russian Federation, Belarus, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia - is a state body system, belonging to the executive department of power. It is formed to protect the lives, health, rights of citizens, interests of society and the State. In modern Russia, the militia is a part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. The tasks of this set-up are regulated by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, laws of the “Militia”, other federal laws and international agreements.
Functions of the militia:
The following functions of the militia are mentioned in the “militia Laws”: preserving the safety of a person, the prevention and suppression of crimes and administrative offenses, detection and solving of crimes, safe-guarding public order and the maintenance of public security, protection of private, state, municipal and other forms of ownership, rendering assistance to individuals and legal bodies in protection of their rights and legitimate interests.
The activity of the militia is built according to the principles of the respect of the rights and freedom of a person and citizen, legality, humanism and publicity. The militia is prohibited to resort to torture, violence, other severe or humiliating endeavors while handling; the use of a weapon, physical strength and this special means is allowed only in special cases, specified in the legislation. It is also mentioned in “militia laws” about equal human rights irrespective of gender, race, nationality, language, origin, status and official capacity, residence, religion, belief, public associations and also other circumstances.
The internal organization:
The militia is divided into public security and criminal militia departments. Differences between the two departments conclude in its functions, management and financing: the work force for the first department is determined as per agreement with the public authorities of the Russian Federation and the work force for the second department is determined by the Government of the Russian Federation.
The following are the main functions of the public security militia: Ensuring safety of individuals, public safety, safety of property and public order, detection, prevention and suppression of crimes and administrative offenses, solving some types of crimes and the search of persons. The militia department renders assistance to the criminal militia department.
The following departments fall under the structure of the public security militia: Inquiry to the district militia on affairs of minors, the militia department for combating offenses in the sphere of the consumer market, the execution of administrative legislation, patrol–guard service, private security bodies, special designated militia department and state traffic safety inspection (STSI).
The tasks of the criminal militia department are prevention, suppression and solving of generally heinous and especially grave crimes, search of persons, absconding from the inquiry department and the investigation and justice and search of missing persons. The criminal militia department combats against organized crimes.
The public security and criminal militia departments are inquiry bodies. The separate militia divisions for protection of especially important and secured objects, closed administrative-territorial foundations, on rail, water and air transport can exist in both the categories of the militia departments.
The municipal militia:
Local issues, which should be resolved at a municipal level, are defined in article 15 of the Federal law “The general principles for organizing local government in the Russian Federation”. The organization of medical and education facilities in the territory of the region, ensuring communication facilities to the public, organizing archives, libraries, realization of the functions of trusteeship and guardianship belong, in the first place, to local issues. The development and maintaining of the motor roads in the territory of the region, the transport service, the organization of recycling and treatment of household and industrial wastes are part of the competency of municipal regions. The municipal area is responsible for the organization of the protection of public order by the municipal militia in the territory of the municipal area.
Equipment:
The “Volga” and “Zhiguli” make of car are traditionally used for militia purposes. In the late eighties, attempts were made to use the “Moskvich” make of car for militia purposes, but these cars did not find widespread use.
The militia cars in rural areas are UAZ, so-called “Goats” (UAZ-469) and “loaf” (UAZ-452) due to their good cross-country capability and non-squeamishness.
The militia staff has the right to use special means and fire-arms in accordance with article 14-15 of the law of the Russian Federation “militia”. Handcuffs, rubber sticks, coloring agents etc can come under special means.
Makarov-make pistols (PM), various types of automatic guns such as the Kalashnikov (AK-74, AK-74M, АКS-74U) and also machine guns of the “Cedar” make form the armament of the militia departments.
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