Putin reduces number of Ministry of Internal Affairs employees by 163,000

Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a decree reducing the country's maximum number law enforcement employees, and, in particular, those in the central office of the Interior Ministry. The decree, which was published on an official government website on Tuesday, sets the maximum number of law enforcement staff at 904,881 individuals, effective October 1, 2016.

The decree sets the number of personnel allowed to work in central agencies of the Ministry of Interior at 6,714, compared with a current 7,475. In addition, the decree stipulates that the head of the Interior Ministry is allowed to have six deputies, as opposed to the current seven.

The previous presidential decree limiting the number of full-time Internal Ministry employees was passed on July 7, 2016. It set the limit at about 1.068 million people.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs previous major reform took place in 2009-2011.

In April 2016, the Federal Drug Control Service and the Federal Migration Service were disbanded, and their departments and staff numbers were transferred to the Ministry of Interior. Some employees of the abolished agencies went to work in law enforcement bodies.

It was assumed that former employees of the Federal Drug Control Service would be able to go work for the Interior Ministry without re-certification or probation. In reality, however, several thousand employees found themselves "unplaceable" in the alternative structure.