How To Deal With Moscow Police II
Hey there. Remember what I wrote about Moscow police? Well, I gotta add a couple of things to that, unfortunately. You see, these guys have been literally going nuts all across the country, and no matter how much I'd like you to visit - I still have to warn you about Moscow cops.
Alright, so it all started with the big shootout in the supermarket. Moscow police major Denis Yevsyukov has gone rampage right in a shop full of people. This guy basically pulled out his gun and started shooting everyone he saw!
Later, when he was finally arrested, he admitted that he's been having problems with his wife and at work, and that he drank too much that evening. The latter is true, because right before this tragic incident, Yevsyukov was having a birthday party and was obviously not very sober.
Anyways, since that moment, incidents like that began happening all across the country. Moscow police officers that are supposed to protect us started going crazy, shooting and hurting people. Sure, those things weren't left unnoticed by the government (Yevsyukov is facing life sentence), but that's not going to really help us, right?
(by maxim grishe)
Anyways, in my Moscow police page I was talking about all the things you should do in order to avoid any problems with the local cops. In addition to that, I want to give another set of advice to make sure you'll stay out of trouble
- Don't walk alone.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again - do not wander alone. It's not such a big problem when you're in the center of Moscow, of course, but once you're willing to travel further - be sure to have someone by you, which brings us to... - Try to arrange a local company.
If you have Russian friends, relatives or even co-workers - try to take a couple of them to the trip. If you run into problems with Moscow cops, it's better to have someone who knows how things work. - Watch the cops' condition.
If they seem drunk or doped, or just behave aggressively - don't push it. The best way is to pay them, but if they insist on taking you to the precinct, better agree and ask your friends to contact the embassy if the cops don't let you out in an hour or two. - Stay out of trouble.
Keep away from demonstrations, large-scale soccer games, and anything else that may draw the attention of authorities. You don't want to mess with Moscow riot police. - Buy your way out.
Yep, it's not pleasant to say, but that's how it works. Paying the annoying cops right on the street is probably the easiest way out of the situation. By the way, I'm not saying it's the first thing you should try! If all your papers are in order, there's no reason to pay, but if anything goes wrong - that's is your "plan B".
All of the points above may not sound very pleasant, I know - but let's be realistic. You want to try and read those guys your Constitutional rights - be my guest. Personally, I think it's much better to do whatever is possible to escape the dangerous situation. By the way, it doesn't mean that afterward you can't....
...complain. Yes, that's right. If you've been harassed by Moscow police - you can write a complaint to the authorities, starting with the Prosecutor's office. Don't even think of doing it by yourself - you'll definitely need a good lawyer to pull that one off.
In addition to Prosecutor's office, the Ministry of the Interior has the internal investigations department that can also aid you in finding the corrupt police officers and bringing them to justice.
With all being said, remember - "better safe than sorry", and that rule applies to contemporary Moscow police very well.
Related posts:
- Moscow bombings.
- GIBDD - the Moscow Road Police Force
- Moscow survival skills - page 2
- Moscow survival skills
- Protecting yourself from Russian mobsters
- Russian nazi skinheads - myths and facts
- Moscow traffic survival guide
- Dealing with Moscow police.
- Islamic terrorism in Russia - is it really THAT scary?
