Russian President On The Need To Enhance Struggle Against Crime

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at an expanded interior ministry board, admitted that so far law-enforcement bodies had not succeeded in curbing the wave of crime. The growth of crime, according to the head of state, has been reported in 54 Russian regions. The indices of crime detection slow down, Putin said. He also stressed that "today the Interior Ministry, should, above all, become one of the instruments of reliable protection of the rights and legitimate interests of citizens, their personal security." According to the head of state, the judicial reform and political and legislative initiatives in other spheres are aimed precisely at this. "It is this approach that determined the ideology of the Interior Ministry reform," the President said.