European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 25, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Assignment inside Moscow the dark Side of democracy policeman Vadim divans Al Poura Tea for his wife Tanya while a year old Dasha watches. More and More Moscow police it. Vadim Luvanski and his american counterparts Are speaking the same language rising crime since the push toward democratic reforms two years ago crime is on the upswing m Russia s capital City. Luvanski 25, a Tive year Veteran of the Force pounds the heat m an Industrial zone in Southern Moscow a Section recently infiltrated by  gangs his Job is to Nab those who commit the most serious crimes. I Giloly lilo moot 3-Mch, 246-Pound cop has Hoon very Busy 1 to uncommon is suddenly common. Skylock Otma car thefts have Given birth to lucrative Auto parts rings. Foreigners Are being kidnapped and ransomed break ins. Once rare Are now an everyday occurrence prostitution is rising. Quot As democracy grows the criminal situation gets worse and worse Quot he says through his Wile Tanya an interpreter for a Christian ministry. Quot most russian people interpret democracy As the possibility of doing anything they want. They just do anything and Call it democracy City wide crime has More than doubled in a two year period. Two years ago Only one murder occurred in Luvanski s District of 80,000 people. Last year he investigated 11 killings. Suspects in 10 of those cases were found guilty he says. Quot and it was All because people wanted material things Quot he says. Burglaries involving televisions. Vars Gold Money fur and most recently food from refrigerators have risen sharply he Points out. Quot most crimes Are committed by people who Are underpaid and done to have enough Money and want to have Many things he says. The sudden proliferation of cooperatives which Are private business ventures has led to higher crime he says. For the first time citizens have discovered they can earn much More than in the state sector two Hundred enterprises now operate in his District. The temptation for some dishonest rubles is too often too great. Quot we now have a new Type of crime that never existed before a rackets Quot he says. A a lot of cooperatives Are involved in illegal  Many criminals he faces Are former professional athletes Well built and conditioned Quot and i can t say that i be always been a Winner Quot says the siberian native whose Broad shouldered presence can be intimidating. Most crimes involve automobiles. Quot the mafia steals cars in Moscow and brings them to this cooperative. These Nice fancy cars Are dismantled different parts Are taken away and installed in other  he recently investigated the theft of 4 million rubles $57,000 in stereos video and camera equipment from a storage facility on the sixth floor of one building. It appeared to be a break in but clues led him to suspect it was an inside Job. Limited police funds prevent him from paying someone to go undercover to recover the loot. Like american police work the Case has been reduced mainly to paperwork and a list of serial numbers of the stolen equipment a there has been a great increase in crimes against foreigners a he says. Quot foreign sources of currency Are very  kidnappers last year threatened to kill an american businessman they had abducted at an Airport unless a Ransom was paid he says. Quot they kept him for several Days in a special place a he says. Suspects were arrested by police and the Kab and the Man was released unharmed. The Case is still under investigation. Foreigners Are easy prey since they stay at Well known hotels or frequent tourist spots he says. Sometimes criminals will Hook a foreigner up with a prostitute then attempt to blackmail him Luvanski carries a gun but so do Many of the criminals he s met. Quot and better models Quot he adds. A a russian policeman has fewer rights than american policemen Quot he explains. Quot if i use my gun i must have two or three witnesses who can testify i was right to use  although he s never been shot at he says his life is sometimes endangered. Quot he s pretty secretive Quot his wife says. A when something really bad happens t know. He just stays Day and night in the office and Calls to say t m Fine later when the danger passes he will Tell me and it s usually when we gather with  despite the drastic increase in crime the size of the police Force has remained the same Luvanski says. Pay for a Rookie cop is 2,500 rubles $35 a month. Luvanski makes 3,500 rubles $50. He can retire after 20 years. But Luvanski like cops everywhere lives life one Day at a time. Quot every Day i face something filthy and disgusting. Sometimes its difficult not to suspect every person Quot he says. Page 10 the stars and stripes wednesday March 25, 1992