On the initiative of deputies of the state Duma, guards of public order in Russia are requested to be conferred exclusive rights: to open fire in public places, and also to open the car;
Amendments to the law "On the police" were developed by deputies of all factions, led by Chairman of State Duma Committee on security, Irina Yarova. According to "Kommersant", the document was submitted for consideration to the lower chamber of the Parliament after consultation with the state-legal Directorate of the President and Government. The bill expands the rights of police officers in the use of firearms. In particular, the guards of order will be allowed to open fire in public places to prevent terrorist attacks or hostage taking. In addition, the proposed amendments will allow the police to shoot at women, except for the ladies "with visible signs of pregnancy”. The current rule prohibits police officers to open fire to the representatives of the weaker sex.
In order to raise the prestige of the MIA, it is also proposed to add to the existing wording of the law that a policeman in the performance “acts as a representative of the state power" and is under the state protection, the paragraph that says that the state guarantees the presumption of trust and support to the police officer in the performance of his official duties.
According to Alexander Khinshtein, who is one of the coauthors of the amendments, an employee of the MIA "cannot be prosecuted” for actions in the performance of his duties, if its were accomplished according to the grounds and in the manner, established by the normative legal acts. He notes that the amendments intend to eliminate the imbalance, connected with the fact that violation of the law by law enforcement officers in the performance is an aggravating factor.
Also, according to "Kommersant", the amendments to the bill "On the police" provide the police with the right to watch citizens on the existence of "reasons to believe" that a person has drugs or weapons, but not with the appropriate data, as the current rule assumes it.
Another important innovation of the bill is granting the police the right to open vehicles if necessary to prevent criminal offences or save the life of citizens and for the sake of security during the mass riots.