Russia to dismiss over two lakh police personnel

President Dmitry Medvedev announced that in total 226,900 police personnel will be dismissed from August 1 and their posts abolished.

"Let me remind you that 183,000 individuals were fired or removed from their corresponding positions at the Interior Ministry at the first stage of the reform," the President said while addressing chiefs of law enforcement agencies yesterday at the Kremlin.

"During the attestation period, 48,000 officers were declined full employment and will soon be dismissed," the President was quoted as saying in the transcript of his speech posted on the Kremlin website.

About one million police personnel, including top generals of Interior Ministry were required to undergo attestation procedures by August 1 deadline, which according to local media reports also included verification on lie-detectors.

Under the reform which not only provides the renaming of militia into police, but also steep hike in wages from January 1, 2012 and other perks of the police force will be cut by 22 per cent.

"This is a major reduction and a very significant change in personnel, regardless of what is said or written about it," Medvedev said.

The local media reported about the tainted police generals and other senior officers getting cushy jobs after dismissal from the force and is sceptical about a drop in police corruption after the reform.