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Over 380,000 policemen to ensure security at RF president election

Police officers will be on duty at each polling station on the election day

MOSCOW, March 1 (Itar-Tass) — Russian police have taken all necessary measures to ensure security at the presidential election to be held on March 4, First Deputy Interior Minister Lieutenant-General Alexander Gorovoi said.

“In the run-up to the election the Interior bodies have done major work aimed at ensuring security during the voting process, protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens during the event,” Gorovoi was quoted by the Interior Ministry’s press centre. “All the algorithms have already been drilled during previous election campaigns, but, certainly, certain changes have been made in them with taking into account the experience and decisions of the Operational HQ of the Russian Interior Ministry.”

According to the first deputy minister, a total more than 380 thousand employees of the Interior Ministry will be engaged in ensuring security on March 4, with support of more than 29.6 thousand voluntary people’s guards and over 30.8 thousand representatives of private security companies.

“The day before the voting, all 94,332 polling stations will be checked by experts with dogs trained to find explosives, and will also be examined with the help of special equipment. Metal detectors will be used, the same as before. After checks, round the clock security guards will be placed at the polling stations that will be relieved only after the ballots are taken away,” Gorovoi said.

Moscow police deputy chief Vyacheslav Kozlov said earlier the city's police have been taking preventive measures. They “are inspecting residential areas, dormitories, hotels and flats of people with a police record,” he said, adding that ahead of the election the police took under tough control all particularly important facilities in the city, including the metro.

According to the RF first deputy interior minister, police officers having the task to ensure public order and to prevent violations of election laws will be on duty at each polling station on the election day.

Surveillance cameras will help policemen to ensure law and order and register offences at the polling stations. Law enforcement officials have already taken several measures to protect the video cameras, since such equipment attracts the attention of intruders. To date, policemen have exposed 14 thefts of video equipment at polling stations. All of the crimes have been solved.

The first deputy interior minister also said that in the run-up to the election, a special briefing was held with the Interior personnel who will work on the election day. “The police officers were once again reminded of the basic legislation regulating the election procedure, and they were also instructed how to act in emergency situations,” Alexander Gorovoi said.