Organized crime still affects socio-econ processes - police.

MOSCOW, October 22 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Deputy Interior Minister
Yevgeny Shkolov said organized crime still affects socio-economic
processes in regions of the Central Federal District (TsFO).
"The measures the Interior Ministry has been taking, have yielded
certain results," he said at a conference at the Interior Ministry's TsFO
department on Wednesday.
"The crime rate has decreased in almost all TsFO regions this year,
including murders, grave bodily harm, rapes and property crimes.
"At the same time, the criminal situation in the federal district
remains tense. Among the main instability factors is the persisting
influence of organized crime upon socio-economic processes in TsFO
regions," Shkolov said.
He drew the attention of criminal police officials to the fact that
"they are personally responsible for their tasks."
"We'll use the toughest measures against those who reduce their work
to stereotyped statistical reports and gross indicators. Each division
leader will be judged by the real situation in the region, including by
the populations' opinion about the effectiveness of criminal police," the
deputy minister underlined.
Shkolov also instructed the participants in the conference to step up
surveillance of criminal leaders, take preventive measures against
extremist groups, expose crimes in the fuel and energy sector, and prevent
criminal bankruptcies and money laundering.
He underlined that the law-enforcement bodies must pool efforts toward
decreasing the share of the shadow economy.
"To this end, we must use the whole potential of law-enforcement
bodies, in order to sever the criminal ties between criminal leaders and
corrupted officials," the deputy interior minister stressed.
-0-myz