The draft federal law on police, recently submitted by the president the State Duma, restricts the authorities of policemen to the territory, which lies under the control of their police units, the Kremlin said on Saturday.
Under the current legislation, Russian policemen can exercise their authorities in all parts of the country.
"This amendment will, on the one hand, reduce police abuse and, on the other hand, concentrate police efforts on the protection of public order and safety of individuals," a Kremlin spokesman said.
The state of Russia's police has become a great concern 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 April 2009.
In response to growing criticism, President Dmitry Medvedev ordered a large-scale police reform in December 2009, including cutting the number of policemen and increasing salaries.
The draft law was posted for public discussion in early August at www.zakonoproekt2010.ru in line with the Russian leadership's plans to reform the police. The text was placed on the web where the public was able to discuss the changes in the law. Some amendments were made to the original text after discussions were considered.
If passed, the law is to come into effect from March 1, 2011.
MOSCOW, October 30 (RIA Novosti)
