Day 1.
First day I was astonished - police is almost not funded. The have to buy everything themselves - starting from a postal stamp and finishing with fuel for patrolling. They only receive money for salaries (in our country only this fact is also good!).For example. The head of investigation department besides legal job responsibilities also is responsible for finding fuel and supplying food for imprisoned people. So when should he conduct his investigations if people in the cells want to eat every day?
In developed countries income of law-enforcement bodies is significant. It fosters impartiality and insures absence of corruption. In Ukraine the operating officer earns 400-600UAH, and third of this amount he spends on his organizational needs. Benefits that were set by the law of Ukraine "About the police" (excluding the right for free use of public transport) and guaranteed by the Constitution, are not planned in the State budget. They act according to the principle: we won't give you any money - you have the gun, so do something yourself.

Day 4.
I was present when a small boy who was suspected in robbery was questioned with violation of all rules: without presence of his legal representatives (parents or guardians), police threatened him and told the boy they would lock him in the same cell with "big guys who have big …", they beat him up and used psychological pressure and the boy was crying.
It is hard to judge about questioning of real criminals, they do not let me in and see this. But not a single questioning session goes without threats. I am surprised that young man say it so easily "I will make you rot in the prison" - like they don't know that this short phrase already violates article 3 of the Convention on human rights and liberties and article 28 of the Constitution. These articles prohibit cruel and inhumane behavior.
I did not witness beating of imprisoned, but I heard about such cases.
At the same time there are a lot of people in the district police department who like their job and do their best so that people could say without irony: our police take care of us.

Day 6.
I saw 2 guys who spent only one night in the cell. The next day it hurt to loot at them - their entire bodies were red from bites of bed-bugs. When I asked "Why don't you disinfect the cells" I heard the answer: "We do not have the money, and why should we do that? Even though presence bed-bugs violates the rules of keeping people in the cells.

Day 9.
I was interested in the issue with carrying guns. After a row of suicides of high ranked officials the Ministry of Internal Affairs made the following decision: the policeman should only receive gun for patrol or operative tasks. I mostly communicate with one of the policemen and he told me a story. His colleague was constantly threatened by a man who was released from a prison not long ago. He also threatened his family. When this policeman came to the department and asked to give him the gun they refused. Then he gathered all of his friends (including a few policemen) and went to solve the problem using a method "a wall on the wall". Thanks God everyone stayed alive.

Day 11.
Every Friday all policemen from the district department come to the gym at 8:00am for physical training and learning technique of hand-to-hand fighting. They even take exam in fighting. But in reality all policemen come dressed up in shirts and pants and just sit there. Only those who want to - they do exercises.

Day 14.
They were getting ready to the standard search to find drugs. They knocked in the door. Silence. Knocked once again. No answer. And there is a firm smell of acetone in the corridor. Break the door? Then the owners will flask their drugs in the toilet. They decided that one of the policemen will enter through the window. He did so. It was a great performance: the drug-user was cooking his stuff and suddenly sees a policeman in his window - of course with a search warrant…

Day 15.
The police needs financial assistance, more education and control - it is an obvious fact.

Oleksandr Danylov,
Graduate of Kherson cooperative Economy and Law college