Where to complain about police officers: inaction, violations?

According to sociological studies conducted annually in Russia, many citizens treat police officers with great distrust. There are undoubtedly quite objective reasons for such an attitude. The consequence of citizens' distrust of law enforcement officers is the so-called legal nihilism, in the ideals of which not a single generation of Russians is brought up. Nevertheless. let's figure out where to complain about police officers?

Today, the majority of our compatriots do not want to write a statement to the police if they have become the victim of a crime of minor severity that did not entail significant damage. This situation gives rise to a large percentage of latent crime. As a result, criminals feel impunity and continue their illegal activities.

Even fewer people try to protect their rights if they have become a victim of police brutality or inaction of police officers. However, Russian legislation has in its arsenal quite effective measures directed against violators in uniform, therefore, in order to be able to protect their legitimate interests if necessary, every citizen must know a clear algorithm of actions in such a situation.

For what reasons can I complain?

There can be many reasons, but the most common are the following:

A police officer (precinct) acts unlawfully, violates the law, acts not in accordance with the regulations, exerts pressure;
Law enforcement officers did not come when called,
The employees accepted the statement that a crime had been committed, but were in no hurry to carry out verification activities;
If a check on the application was carried out, but rather superficially and formally, and based on its results, the initiation of a criminal or administrative case was refused;
If the police fail to act in other situations;
If, after the initiation of a criminal case, police officers do not carry out the necessary investigative measures and rush to quickly close it and put it in the archives;
Employees of internal authorities behave defiantly and not in accordance with the regulations.

In the above situations, it is highly undesirable to delay writing an appeal to the supervisory authorities, therefore measures must be taken without delay.

Bodies to which you can file a complaint against police officers

According to current Russian legislation, in the event of unlawful behavior, actions, or inactions of police officers, you can submit an appeal to the competent authorities.

Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation

The Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation - this state body is called upon to oversee compliance with the law, including compliance with the law in the activities of law enforcement agencies. Any prosecutorial check against employees of internal affairs bodies, in accordance with the law, within the established time frame. If, as a result of this inspection, the prosecutor reveals violations in the activities of the police, he can issue an order to eliminate them, and can also draw up a presentation addressed to the head of the police department, in which he indicates the need to bring the perpetrators to justice. The applicant is notified in writing of the results of the inspection.

Judicial authorities

Courts of the Russian Federation - according to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, every citizen has the right to defend their legitimate interests in court, including if they were violated by government bodies or their officials. In court, the inactions or actions of police officers can be declared illegal. The corresponding application is submitted in accordance with the procedural procedure provided for by the Code of Administrative Proceedings.

Senior management

The head of the police department - he is the immediate supervisor, therefore he has the right to punish his subordinates in some cases. For example, you can write a complaint to him if the police officers subordinate to him allowed themselves to treat you incorrectly or rudely, and also used profanity when communicating with you. Based on the results of an internal audit, police officers who commit such offenses may be subject to disciplinary action.

Department of Internal Security

Department of Internal Security - you should write a complaint to this structural unit of the police if a police officer has committed a criminal act. Typically, this body receives complaints about corrupt police officers, concealment of evidence, or violent actions against suspects. Based on these facts, verification measures must be carried out, based on the results of which a decision may be made on the need to initiate criminal proceedings against the perpetrators.

What to do if you are threatened by a police officer?

In the case where a law-abiding citizen suffers from the actions of the police, his future fate depends on whether he is able to protect his rights without succumbing to emotions.

How to communicate with a police officer?

According to lawyer Mikhail Fomitsky, you should never show aggression when talking to a police officer. You should be confident and calm.

— Before starting a substantive conversation, before presenting documents to the policeman or fulfilling his other demands, record his data. You can write them down in a notepad, and also make video and audio recordings on your phone, and openly. When asked why you are making a recording, directly state that you are going to appeal their subsequent actions if, in your opinion, they seem unlawful to you. Ask the employee to show his or her official ID. The policeman is obliged to state his last name, place of work and present his service ID without letting it go, says the lawyer.

You can also require the police officer to show his post or route card.

“Ask for the phone number of the officer on duty at the police department to clarify whether this officer is actually patrolling along this route,” advises Mikhail Fomitsky. – And, if he is outside his territory and outside the time of his duty (service), then in this situation you will take him by surprise, “catching him red-handed” at the scene of the violation.

When getting acquainted with the police officer's documents, take your time and do not fuss. Ask the officer to hold the ID at eye level for you to read comfortably and to give you the opportunity to read the information completely. It's best to do this out loud while simultaneously recording your ID details. No one has the right to rush you. The police officer's refusal to show you his documents is in itself a violation on his part.

All types of violence are illegal

But, if you still find yourself in a situation where a police officer threatens you, then:

Try not to panic.
Remember the person who threatens you or hits you: what he is wearing, hair color, eye color, special features (moles, scars). Remember the environment of the office where the interrogation took place.
As soon as possible, tell your relatives or friends so that they can confirm that you had no bodily injuries before your arrest.
Pretend to feel unwell and ask for a doctor. Ask for help. The doctor can witness what happened.
Try to leave your marks: for example, a blood stain under the table (if you are beaten).
If the room is equipped with CCTV cameras, try to be within visibility range.
When you are released, immediately go to the emergency room for a certificate of beatings and write a statement to the prosecutor's office about unlawful actions of police officers.

Be that as it may, you should not respond in kind in response to threats from police officers. On the contrary, comply with all their demands and do not do anything that could be considered a threat of violence, such as threatening gestures. You should also not try to lie down so that the policeman has to drag you, or cling to objects - this can be regarded as resistance, albeit passive.

We will return to the topic of police brutality, and also discuss the rules of conduct during a search, arrest and other legal issues.

Author: Valeria Balzhieva

Distinctive features of a complaint against police officers

A complaint against police officers has the following characteristic features:

It can be written by any person who believes that police officers have violated his rights and legitimate interests.
An application or appeal to the court can be written handwritten or typewritten. To go to court, you must comply with the procedural order. You can't do without lawyers and attorneys.
The application must necessarily indicate the passport details of the applicant, as well as the details of the authority where it is being submitted.
The appeal shall indicate all relevant facts. They must be stated clearly and concisely.

In general, the law does not define a clear form for writing a complaint against police officers, so it is drawn up in free form, but with mandatory compliance with the above rules. Let me remind you that when going to court, you must follow the procedural order.

How to file a complaint against police officers and how it is considered

After you have written a complaint (an administrative claim to the court), you can send it to the appropriate authority in two traditional ways: in person or by mail . In addition, nowadays it is possible to file a complaint by e-mail (this option is not always provided for in court). In particular, if you visit the official website of any prosecutor’s office in your city, then pay attention to the fact that there is a so-called online reception. This electronic service was created specifically for filing various complaints. If you decide to use this service, be sure to provide an email address to which information about the measures taken in response to your request can be sent to you.

If you wish to file a complaint in person, this is usually done through the office of a particular authority. So, in the office of the prosecutor's office, when registering your complaint, a copy of it, which will be given to you, is marked with the date of its acceptance and the official who will deal with your case. You can check with him about his progress by phone or by making an appointment.

Based on the results of the inspection, an appropriate decision must be made, of which the author of the complaint must be notified. Such notice is usually sent in an envelope by mail or by email. In addition, you can indicate in the appeal that you want to pick up the answer to it personally. Then it can be obtained from the office of the relevant authority against signature. If the applicant is dissatisfied with the decision taken on the complaint, he has every right to appeal it to a higher authority or to court. Let me remind you once again that when going to court, it is necessary to comply with the procedural order.

Step-by-step instructions in case of death threats

Article 119 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation provides for criminal liability for threats to kill or cause grievous bodily harm if there were grounds to fear that this threat would be carried out.

In the vast majority of cases of violence in intimate relationships, threats of murder or grievous bodily harm are made behind closed doors without witnesses and are very difficult to prove. Therefore, if this is not the first time this situation has happened to you, try to record the threats on a voice recorder or make a video recording.

Death threats can be sounded and expressed in different ways - both by gestures, actions and words. For example, the aggressor can say the following: “I will kill you,” “strangle you,” “I will break your legs,” “I will kill you,” “I will bury you,” and use any other expressions that directly or indirectly may indicate the intention to use physical violence or murder.

The aggressor can use actions. For example, display weapons or any other objects that can be used as weapons (axe, hammer, bat, etc.).

Threatening gestures may include aggressive fist pounding on the palm, as well as the characteristic "I'll cut your throat" gesture.

In addition to threats directly in person upon contact with the offender, threats can be carried out in various ways: by mail, including email, by telephone (voice and SMS), through social networks. The first thing you need to do when receiving threats is to get confirmation that you are being threatened:

Mail A letter with threats is the main evidence of the fact of the threat. Handle it with care. Try not to leave fingerprints on the paper, don’t crumple it, and don’t write anything on it. Try to leave the letter in exactly the same condition in which it was delivered. You should also determine the delivery time, remember where and how it was delivered, and whether you noticed anything unusual when you received the letter. Tell and show the letter to your friends.
Phone calls Caller ID will be very useful here. It is advisable to have something (a voice recorder, a smartphone) on hand to record the conversation (record not only audio, but also video of the conversation process). If you have nothing to write down, remember and be sure to write down everything you hear: noises, timbre of voice, pronunciation, peculiarities of speech, even what seems to you an unimportant little thing. After receiving calls, it is necessary to obtain a statement from the mobile operator about the call.
SMS When you receive an SMS, your phone number is displayed, of course, if the message was sent from your phone and not from the mobile operator’s website. Save the message.
Messengers (WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, Signal, Vkontakte, etc.) Since these instant messengers have a function for deleting messages, it is necessary to take screenshots of received threats in correspondence.
Email or social networks You must take a screenshot of the page with your threat posts or take a photo of the screen. Such threats can also be recorded by a notary. The notary will draw up a protocol on recording the evidence. Such a record is evidence both in the police and in court.

Step one (general recommendations):

It is advisable to store all screenshots not only on the phone, but also in other places (on a flash drive, hard drive, printed) to avoid loss of evidence. Also, if you received a video with threats, then you need to download it and move it to another medium. Step one:

If the threats were accompanied by physical violence, you must call the police, an ambulance, or go to the medical center yourself. For more information on what to do in case of assault, see here.
Take all possible actions to find yourself in a safe place. If you have children or parents or other people at risk with you, you should try to get to a safe place together (to relatives, friends, etc.). If relatives, friends, acquaintances to whom you can go for a while are all accessible, then you can wait for some time (for example, until the morning) in a 24-hour cafe/bistro/gas station in your area. To do this, you need to study your area in advance in order to have an idea of what 24-hour cafes there are near your home.
If you cannot leave the premises, you must try to call the police, or call for help, ask neighbors, relatives, or people nearby to call the police. If you have been in a situation of domestic violence for some time, you need to write down in your phone the numbers of the police, relatives, crisis centers, and other numbers that you can quickly call and ask for help. It is also recommended to prepare a spare set of keys for the front door and hide it near the exit in case the aggressor interferes with your exit and takes away your bunch of keys. At any opportunity, when the aggressor is distracted, you can use spare keys.

Step two:

Write a statement to the police. Get a sample: DOC / PDF.. For verification, you can send the completed application to our lawyer at
Get him received by issuing a notification coupon at the police duty station.

Step three:

Give an explanation to the police officer.
The following information must be provided in the explanation and application to initiate a criminal case:
the place where the crime was committed (in detail: at what address, in what room, who was there and where);
description of the crime event (in detail: how exactly the threats were expressed, whether the offender had weapons or other objects in the hands of the offender that could harm your health or take your life, beatings (blows) were inflicted during the threats, in what part of the body, with what or in what part of the body, how many blows, how long the beatings lasted, etc.);
indicate witnesses, if there were any (full name, where they were at the time the crime was committed, what they saw, heard, what they can confirm);
be sure to indicate that you perceived and perceive the threats realistically and why (for example: the threats were made during beatings or the use of other violent actions, the offender had objects in his hands that could cause harm, the aggressor had previously been convicted of violence, etc.).
If an explanation (statement) is written by a police officer, demand that your explanations be written down verbatim, in detail, in full (without interpretation). If the police officer refuses to make changes in accordance with your requirements, when signing the explanation (statement), indicate that you are signing them with comments, since your testimony is not reflected in the text, and indicate any (or your testimony is distorted and in what way) distortion).

Step four:

If, even after contacting the police, the harassment and threats against you do not stop, you should write a statement about the application of state protection measures. Sample application here: DOC / PDF. To check, you can send a completed application to our lawyer at

Step five:

The verification period for your application is 3 days, which can then be extended to 10 days. After the specified period has expired, the police must issue you a resolution to initiate/refuse to initiate a criminal case.
If you refuse to initiate a case, contact the prosecutor's office or court with a complaint and present evidence that the likelihood of the threats being carried out is very high. A sample complaint can be downloaded here (DOC/PDF). To check, you can send a completed application to our lawyer at

Step six:

All this time, while the check is going on and beyond, try to organize your living space, taking into account all the safety measures that can be taken in your situation (don’t be left alone, if possible, live with your parents, relatives, friends; visit the local police officer and report your situation ; write down in your phone all the numbers where you can get emergency help: police, relatives, neighbors; if possible, warn everyone around you that you are being threatened, etc.).