Every year in Russia is celebrated October 18 holidayThe day of the creation of the transport police. Was it really created that day? After all, this is a very complex state structure, consisting of several sections and many branches throughout the country. What did the transport police do now and then? Generally what is it for?
The history of transport in our country is long andcomplex. He developed unevenly. The prototype of the transport police in Russia was created back in 1809, published by the Manifesto of November 20, "On the management of water and land communications." Since then, the agency periodically changed its name, and its activities have only expanded due to the emergence of new types of transport.
The first attempts to create a transport police on the railway
With the beginning of the construction of railways appearedthe need to create a specialized body for the protection of goods and passengers of trains, as well as the investigation of crimes committed on the railway. In addition to criminal cases: robbery, theft, murder, beatings and other violent actions, the transport police did what it basically did because it performed the functions of identifying bribery and embezzlement by railway officials. They were also responsible for the condition of the bridges, and in the event of flooding or destruction they were obliged to ensure their repair and proper maintenance. The appearance of the transport police on the railway was laid down by the decree of Nicholas 1, adopted on April 15, 1836 "On the construction of the Petersburg-Tsarskoye Selo railway".
With the increase in the length of railways alsothe number of crimes committed on it increased. Since the development of rail transport has been the development of previously uninhabited areas, then in this area most often unrest occurred. To ensure the safety of Nikolay 1, it was decided to involve the gendarmerie in this work, since in remote areas it was not always possible to involve the local police, since in many localities she was simply absent. The gendarmes were subordinate to the Ministry of Railways.
Features of the railway police
Unfortunately, the fact that the transport policewas the departmental power body of the Ministry of Railways, and the head of the transport police was directly subordinate to the head of the railway and did not lead to anything good. In essence, the gendarmes were in monetary and official dependence on railway officials. Therefore, their work was extremely inefficient, and in some cases even detrimental to the department. Not the guilty were punished, but the guilty managed, thanks to their high positions, to avoid sanctions.
По вполне понятным причинам такое положение не could go on for a long time. On March 16, 1867, the gendarme chief himself, Adjutant General Count Shuvalov, addressed the sovereign with a report that the king made changes to the structure and staff of the gendarme administrations on the railways.
River Transport Police
In Russia, there was not only land, butriver mode of transport. And although there were significantly fewer crimes on the river, this transport system also needed appropriate monitoring. Especially the work of the transport police was relevant in St. Petersburg, since this is a port city and large trading ships arrived in it, especially in the XVIII-XIX centuries.
Because in St. Petersburg there is a needcreate a special police department to monitor the sea and river vessels and their compliance with the rules for the transport of goods. In addition to identifying crimes against the person or embezzlement, they served as customs officers and detected cases of smuggling of goods. The project to create a river police was adopted June 2, 1867.
The first years after the revolution
After the Great October Revolution, despitethe negative attitude of revolutionaries towards the gendarmerie and the police in general; a special authority, the transport police, was created to restore order. It was legalized by the decree "On the organization of railway police and railway guards" on February 18, 1919. From this date, the history of the creation and development of the transport police is officially counted.
In the new conditions, the old methods did not work,therefore, in the USSR they were looking for new, more efficient ways of organizing control and developing new rules for the transport of goods. There were regular checks at stations and mobile units raids. Changed transport - improved methods of work. The number of policemen was growing. Individual outfits began to accompany passenger trains. Many methods that were developed during the Soviet era are used in our days.
Problems in air transport and how to solve them
It would seem incredible that on the planeanyone would think of engaging in banditry. However, in the late 60s - early 70s it was a harsh truth. For the first time, people are faced with a rampant crime in air transport. There were criminals attacking the passengers and crew. Passengers were robbed or beaten by hooligans and rowdies. This type of transport was chosen by terrorists. Aircraft blew or hijacked.
In order to prevent crimes in the airtransport and security in the USSR adopted the relevant regulations. On November 3, 1970, the Council of Ministers decided on the mandatory presence of transport police officers on an airplane. However, such a measure was ineffective. The policeman could not use service weapons or use hand-to-hand combat techniques.
The fight against crime in air transport - a non-standard solution
Since the old methods were on the planeinapplicable, it was decided to develop new ways to combat crime in air transport. Since dangerous cargo on a plane can only be carried through the airport, it is quite understandable that the only way to prevent a tragedy was to conduct a thorough search of passengers and their baggage.
В 1978 году советское правительство приняло the decree on the introduction of a continuous inspection of passengers and their baggage, including hand luggage. In some cases, personal screening of passengers was allowed on both domestic and international flights. This practice has been recognized as effective and is used not only in Russia, but also in other countries.
The same system works in our time and is accepted by the Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation as the main means of ensuring security in air transport.
An attempt was made to change the orderpassing control in 1997. However, subsequent events have shown that the refusal of a personal search is the wrong decision. In connection with the frequent terrorist attacks using air vehicles (the most ambitious was committed on September 11, 2001 in the USA, when the plane crashed into the twin towers), this measure was introduced again in August 2004.
Department work
One of the transport police bodies isDepartment of Law Enforcement in Transport. His duties include identifying dangerous actions on the transport infrastructure objects by minors homeless, who create dangerous situations not only for their life and health, but also for other participants. The department identifies these children and adolescents and sends them to specialized children's institutions.
The structure of the transport police
Transport police consists of more than 500linear police departments, whose activities, in turn, are controlled by 20 transport departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Today, the transport police is a complex multi-tiered structure.
In the past few years, due to the deteriorationinternational situation, the growth of crime, terrorism, the transport police, what they do is the identification of channels for the illegal supply of weapons and ammunition, explosive devices, drugs and other prohibited substances transported by rail, air or water transport. Such were the officers of the transport police both before October 18, 1917, and after.
Criticism of the transport police
Although without transport policethe situation would be much worse; criticism often sounds to her. It is not always unreasonable. What the transport police is doing unwittingly creates the conditions for abuse.
But “random” people do not work in this department!Therefore, all cases that have fallen under the supervision of the media or have been identified after the inspection are thoroughly investigated. If the violation is confirmed, such employees are dismissed. The Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior of the Russian Federation is doing everything to recruit only honest and conscientious citizens. Special requirements are imposed on employees, since work implies special training and endurance.
What are the requirements for traffic police officers
In order to maintain order andtransport security, a police officer working in any of the line police departments must have a high level of professionalism, know not only the peculiarities of his specialty, but also how transport services work, be able to instantly navigate in a constantly changing environment. After all, he often has to act alone and risk his life.
Traffic police officer is not entitledturn off the phone and should be ready to work 24 hours a day. This job requires constant voltage. And for this, he must have not only good physical, but psychological preparation.
Powers of Transport Police Officers
What does the transport police do today andWhat powers do its employees have? Its competence includes the implementation of inspections in case of accidents at the railway, air or water transport, as well as the territories in which ports, stations and airports are located.
Сотрудники имеют право проверять грузы, вскрывать containers or passenger screening. But they can do this only with good reason. For example, there is information that some of the passengers are carrying weapons or drugs. The police can only check in the presence of two witnesses. In fact, the inspection is necessarily drawn up a protocol.
