How many times have you been pulled over by a police officer? Now, think, how many of those times have you been given a warning versus a ticket? Okay, one last question. Of the times you were issued a ticket how many involved a male police officer versus a female one?
Those were just some of the questions I asked myself when I learned that Russia is trying to create its first women-only traffic police unit because “commanders believe they are less corrupt than men.” Are you surprised? A local Russian newspaper claims that studies have shown “male-dominated traffic police routinely forgive traffic violations in exchange for bribes.” Bribes? At the risk of sounding naïve, I have to ask what (besides cold hard cash) could a motorist have in his/her vehicle that would entice an officer to drop a charge? I have this vision that a motorist returning from the supermarket is pulled over for speeding and tries to bribe an officer with a loaf of bread, vodka, and some cheese. Would that get him or her off the hook?
In all seriousness, many believe this culture of bribe taking has helped make Russia’s roads among the worlds most dangerous. According to police reports: about 35,000 people are killed in accidents each year.
“The first female platoon of 26 traffic officers will patrol the center of Volgograd (in southern Russia),” a Russian police chief told local reporters. The police chief went on to say: “There is research which proves that women are not inclined to bribe-taking.” A few women already serve as traffic officers, but not nearly as many as Russia police would like to see in the posts.
Personally, I like the idea. However, I wonder if bribe taking is so imbedded in the Russian culture, will it take more than the addition of a few “good women” to provide an injection of morality into the police force?