Two-thirds of Russians don't trust police - survey

[ckramer]

More than two-thirds of Russians do not trust the police force, while only two percent think it acts within the law, said an opinion poll published on Tuesday.

The survey by respected pollster the Levada Centre said 73.5 percent of Russians thought the government used police to crack down on political opponents, while less than four percent disagreed with the viewpoint.

Most people in Russia see the poorly-paid police as corrupt, and it is commonplace to pay small bribes to avoid punishment for minor offences.

reuters

[frankieT]

1. sure, Russia needs a democratic revolution -eom-

[Lizzie Borden]

2. These people have lived with KGB most of their lives.

Most know of someone who has been 'disappeared'. They have a very healthy respect of people who weild power even if it's not a great deal of it. People can disappear in the middle of the night. Officially the Gulags have closed, but I wouldn't bet my life on it.

[Igel]

3. I didn't know about the Levada Center before;

thanks for the post. They have a bunch of interesting survey results posted, but the police-related one's not up yet.

[David__77]

4. Slew of anti-Russia propaganda.

I do not agree with Putin's pro-West foreign policy or his neo-liberal, nation-selling economics of privatization. But I staunchly defend Russia against Western subversion.

[Demeter]

5. And in the US? How many don't trust our police?

That's a number worth our notice.

[AtTheEndOfTheDay]

6. I bet even more would have polled that way

if they weren't worried about how their answers might haunt them. I have similar feelings here in America about ours.