Verkhneudinsk city police institution in 1798

Abstract

The paper deals with the issue of the establishment of the police service in Verkhneudinsk, a provincial town of Irkutsk province. On the base of unpublished sources, the author characterizes the police’s establishment and its staffing. The author deals with the decrees of the central and provincial government on the establishment of the police service. The commandant of the Verkhneudinsk fortress was responsible for all the organizational issues in the town. Under his eye, the economic organization, the choice of attendants, gathering of finance, and office provision were implemented. The author focuses on human, financial and organizational conditions of the police activity in the town. The personnel issue was very serious. The author notes the specific attitude of the townspeople to the police service and their unwillingness to take part in it, which led to the appointment of unworthy and incapable people to vacant positions in the police. A small salary or, at all, its absence were the reasons for such an attitude. The establishment of the police was financed from the townspeople’s money, and not always in the proper amount. However, despite all the controversies and the passivity of the town society, the commandant succeeded in establishing the police. Later, the police service became one of the main control services that limited the local self-government and at the same time was a conductor of the monarchy.