Carrying out necessary reforms on the Russian Police Department will require considerable federal funds, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday.
"Carrying out the reforms will require significant budget allocations," Medvedev said, adding that a 20%-police staff cut was planned by 2012.
Medvedev said the financial and social support of the police forces remained a priority issue for the Russian government. He said current police salaries and pensions do not match the complexity of the work carried out by police officers.
"Alongside increased social status, there must be qualitative changes in the work of police officers," the president said.
The state of Russia's police has been brought into question recently 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 response to growing criticism, Medvedev ordered a large-scale reform of the police department in December 2009, aimed at cutting officer numbers and raising salaries.
GORKI (Moscow region), June 7 (RIA Novosti)
