The ‘Economic Activities' of Russian Police

Abstract

This research is an analysis of the ‘economic activities' of Russian police officers. ‘Economic activities' include acts defined as police corruption and police misconduct. Some of the activities are those which, if pursued in police agencies in the United States, would be defined as ‘moonlighting’. The Russian Law of the Militia defines not only police corruption and other forms of misconduct but defines and limits police participation in what would be considered legal economic activities. This law limits police ‘moonlighting’ to teaching, research or the arts. Other legitimate work such as private security, sales, etc comes to be defined as ‘misconduct’. The findings are based on surveys from 2,209 police officers stationed in eight regions of Russia during 2002. The surveys solicited self-report information on a variety of forms of police misconduct and corruption as well as attitudes concerning police misconduct and corruption and public attitudes toward police. In addition to the survey, interviews were conducted with police to gather qualitative information. The results showed that Russian police are highly involved in ‘economic’ activities in addition to their regular responsibilities as police. Many of the economic activities involve corruption. Many are those prohibited by the Law of the Militia. In fact, most of the reported activity was police misconduct created through the application of the Law of the Militia. It would not be considered illegal, immoral or unethical if the individual involved were not a police officer. This Law of the Militia plays a significant role in the institutionalisation of corruption and the creation of secondary deviance within this police force.