Over the past year and a half, 14 law enforcement officers have been convicted in the Chernihiv region

During 2012-2013, some Chernihiv “law enforcement officers” took bribes, traded drugs, engaged in fraud, and even stole cars. The Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights received such data from the Chernihiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the regional prosecutor’s office, in 2012, investigations were completed and 9 criminal cases were sent to court against law enforcement officers, 5 of which were against employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In 2013, court proceedings were initiated in 13 more criminal cases against employees of “law enforcement agencies,” 11 of which were against police officers.

As a result of court proceedings in 2012 and 7 months of 2013, 14 law enforcement officers (including 9 police officers) were brought to criminal responsibility in the Chernihiv region.

In particular, among law enforcement officers, there were convicted of bribery, fraud, illegal drug trafficking, illegal seizure of a vehicle, and failure to comply with a court decision.

Currently, the investigative bodies of the Chernihiv region prosecutor’s office are conducting 23 criminal proceedings against law enforcement officers, including 17 employees of the internal affairs bodies, in which 2 persons were declared suspected of committing a crime.

The increase in the number of criminal proceedings against law enforcement officers may probably indicate that, under the influence of the events in Vradiyivka, a command was sent from above to urgently demonstrate to the people that they have constantly and steadfastly fought and will fight against “werewolves in epaulettes”.

However, the number of “law enforcement officers” who, instead of protecting the law, use their stay in the ranks of the “state armed body of executive power” for their own illegal enrichment is not decreasing. Obviously, it makes sense not only to increase the indicators of exposing criminals-police officers, but also to change the situation at the systemic level so that there are significantly fewer of them.

At the same time, in the 11 months of 2012, before the new Criminal Procedure Code came into force, the prosecutor’s office of Chernihiv region received 180 applications and reports regarding the use of illegal methods of investigation, violence, torture, and humiliation of human dignity by police officers. However, as a result, not a single police officer in the region was convicted under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code.

* * *

According to the international human rights organization Amnesty International, the probability of initiating criminal proceedings for police crimes in Ukraine is 0.27%.