Global crime calls for global partnerships.

As relations between the United States and the newly formed Commonwealth of Independent States (formerly the Soviet Union) have normalized in the wake of the Cold War, the citizens of both countries have begun to reach out to one another. Not limited to the academic and cultural realms, exchanges also have developed among law enforcement agencies. One such relationship was forged between a sheriff's office in Oregon and a police agency in Russia.

Initial contact occurred in 1992 when I traveled to Russia to host an American television show about the changes taking place in Russian law enforcement. The growing crime problems in Russia - virtually unheard of during the Soviet era - were outstripping the capabilities of Russian law enforcement to combat them. In addition, Russian police agencies had to adjust to the unique problems posed by policing a democratic society. The Russian and American officers who met during the television project agreed that it would be useful for the Russian officers to gain some firsthand experience with Western-style policing. Thus, the exchange program between the Multnomah County Sheriff s Office and the Russian Federation of Police Services was born.

Russian Police Executives Visit Oregon

After months of painstaking preparation and negotiation, the first portion of the exchange began on June 3, 1993, when four executive officers from the Russian Federation of Police Forces arrived in Portland. The officers were Maj. Gen. Oleg Stankovich, deputy chief of Internal Affairs; Col. Vladimir Polaynsky, chief of the agency fighting illegal drug trafficking and narcotics production; Col. Stanislav Pylev, chief of Personnel; and Col. Nikolai Pavlovsky, cultural liaison officer.

The sheriff's office arranged an extensive and diverse agenda for the visitors. First, the group met with representatives from numerous law enforcement agencies, including the DEA, the FBI, the U.S. attorney's office, the Portland Bureau of Emergency Communication (the dispatch center), and the Portland Police Bureau. Local municipal authorities, members of the Oregon Senate, and the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training also hosted the Russian guests. The high-tech communications, policing, and correctional systems taken for granted in the United States proved to be both unfamiliar and fascinating to the Russian police officers.

Comparing Notes on Policing

The exchange continued in July 1993, when 10 members of the sheriff's office traveled to Moscow to visit two Russian police academies. The Moscow Region Academy and the Moscow City Academy train current and new members of the militia, Russia's police force. The militia handles traditional policing duties, such as patrol, traffic enforcement, and crime investigation, as well as a few unusual ones, such as airport customs. Currently, approximately 2 million members serve in the militia.

With the assistance of interpreters, each member of the American delegation gave short talks at the academies about the nature of their jobs at the sheriff's office. Long question-and-answer periods followed each presentation. This is when the serious information exchange took place.

Questions covered a wide range of topics, from salaries to police vehicles to gun control. Animated discussions arose about the structures of American and Russian societies, their educational practices, and their economic systems. Of course, comparisons of police work in both countries provided a rich source of dialogue within the group. Philosophical discussions about patriotism and a commitment to improving life in their respective communities were interspersed with practical comparisons of equipment, judicial processes, and correctional systems.

One stark contrast became apparent during a comparison of correctional systems. The Corrections Branch of the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office operates five different jail facilities, ranging from a high-rise, maximum security detention center to a work release program. Conversely, the Russian detention system appears to be woefully inadequate to handle the growing crime rate there. Moscow, a city of 11 million residents, has one jail that can house only 5,000 inmates.

During their visit, the American officers received an education on the rapidly accelerating crime rate in Russia. At one time, approximately 600 militia officers worked drug-related crimes; by the end of 1993, the number of officers had risen to approximately 5,000.

The country also has witnessed a dramatic increase in gang activity in the larger Russian cities. There, gangs have grown bolder and more vicious, much as they have in the United States. Russian organized crime groups have direct connections to groups in the United States, where they employ strong-arm intimidation tactics to victimize and exploit new immigrants to the United States. The officers shared information on how to stem the tide of gang violence in both societies.

During the discussions in Moscow, both sides agreed that while the seasoned officers who had participated in the exchange could describe their experiences with their agencies, even a rich description would not convey the experience clearly to officers in training. The Russians particularly were interested in having new recruits experience exactly the same training as their American counterparts. As a result, the group made plans for four Russian militia cadets to attend a session of the Oregon Police Academy in Monmouth, Oregon.

Training in America

Another year's worth of persistence on the part of the director and staff of the Oregon Police Academy and a team from the sheriff's office finally paid off when the four Russian cadets arrived in Portland on July 2, 1994. All were third-year students at Moscow's Senior Police Academy for the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Evigeny "Eugene" Sorokin, Alexei "Alex" Gluhedodov, Ekaterina "Kate" Kashtanova, and Natalia "Natasha" Alexandrova arrived in Portland a week before their training started. Members of the sheriff's office opened their homes to the visitors. Strong bonds between the cadets and the American host families developed quickly.

During the 12 weeks of training, the Russian cadets blended well with their American colleagues. Not surprisingly, the Russian and American students found that they had similar tastes in music, clothes, and food. More important, they discovered that they shared the desires to have good careers and provide safe environments for their families. Their common interests and goals enhanced the training experience for everyone.

Eugene, Alex, Kate, and Natasha graduated from the Oregon Police Academy on September 2, 1994. Through the generous contributions of private foundations and individuals in Oregon, some friends and family from Russia joined them to celebrate their achievement.

Final Comments

Living during the Cold War era, few Russian or American police officers envisioned the possibility of future joint ventures aimed at a common enemy - crime. But as citizens of the emerging global village, law enforcement officers will need such partnerships to combat global crime problems.

Sheriff Bunnell commands the Multnomah County, Oregon, Sheriff's Office.