Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has approved an initiative by the United Russia party to set up a comprehensive list of police powers, party leader Boris Gryzlov said on Saturday.
In December Medvedev ordered an extensive reform of the Interior Ministry in an effort to deal with police brutality, corruption among officers as well as using of officer's position to suppress citizens' rights and freedoms.
At a meeting with Medvedev, Gryzlov, who is also the speaker of the lower house of the Russian parliament, proposed that the new police should outline all the police authorities. "My proposal was supported," he added.
The state of Russia's police has become a great concern after a number of high-profile police scandals, including the random shooting of several people in a supermarket by an off-duty police officer in April 2009.
In response to growing criticism, Medvedev ordered a large-scale reform of the police, including cuts in officer numbers and the increase of salaries.
GORKI, September 11 (RIA Novosti)
