Chechen law enforcement has grown nearly eightfold since 2003, Kadyrov says

Head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov has boasted that the number of law enforcement officers in the republic has grown to 36,000 — eight times the number of officers in 2003.

While listing the ‘achievements’ of the republic over the past 25 years on his Telegram channel on Wednesday, Kadyrov said the number of officers had grown from just 4,800 in 2003. He said the increase was due to the ongoing fight against terrorism and the need to ensure security.

Against the backdrop of an increasing number of police officers in Chechnya, human rights defenders have reported a rise in the abduction of local residents, some of whom have died as a result of torture.

For comparison, across Russia, there is an average of one law enforcement officer per 57 citizens. According to the Russian independent investigative media outlet Projekt, in 2020, the country had around 2.6 million personnel in law enforcement agencies. This figure includes employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), the Federal Security Service (FSB), the National Guard (Rosgvardiya), the Investigative Committee, the Prosecutor’s Office, and other security structures.

In comparison — taking into account only police officers, not other security officials — the proportion dwarfs other countries, including the average across Russia. In 2017, in Russia, there was one police officer for every 240 people, in the United States – one for every 407 people, in Germany – one for every 337 people, and in the UK – one for every 437 people.

There is no exact and up-to-date data available on other regions of the North Caucasus. However, in different years, the MVD has published statistics on the size of its personnel.

In 2012, there was approximately one MVD officer per 76 residents in North Ossetia, for a total force of 9,239 officers.

In Daghestan in 2012, there was one officer per 54 residents; in Ingushetia in 2022, the ratio was one per 139 residents. In Kabarda–Balkaria in 2008, the figure was approximately one officer per 263 residents, with a total police force of 3,427 officers. In 2015, authorities in Kabarda-Balkaria reported a reduction of 300 police officers.

The available data, however, remains outdated and may not reflect the current situation. Additionally, these figures do not include personnel from other security agencies such as the Rosgvardiya and the FSB. However, precise and up-to-date data on the total number of security personnel in the North Caucasus is not available in open sources.

In other regions of Russia, including Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the density of law enforcement officers is significantly lower. For comparison, in Moscow, there are approximately 259 residents per law enforcement officer, while in Saint Petersburg, the figure is 294 residents per law enforcement officer.

Regional leaders, MVD officials, and federal agencies frequently report a shortage of police personnel. In May 2024, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev stated that the agency lacked 152,000 employees.

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