Russian Prime Minster Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that criticism of the country's police was often justified, but that officers performed "important" work, RIA Novosti reported.
"We, with justification, criticize law enforcement agencies a lot, and serious reforms being carried out in this sphere are not accidental. But we should not tar everyone with the same brush," Putin said in his annual Q&A session.
"We should understand that they perform an important duty in the state and we should not humiliate them," he said, adding that "otherwise, our liberal intelligentsia will have to shave their beards, put helmets on and go to the squares to fight radicals."
The prime minister's remarks came amid concerns over police brutality. In an attempt to improve the image of law enforcement agencies, President Dmitry Medvedev ordered a large-scale police reform in December 2009, including cutting the number of policemen and increasing salaries.
Putin's comments also followed nationalist riots that broke out in Moscow and St. Petersburg on Saturday.
Putin backs police force, but admits problems
Russian Prime Minster Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that criticism of the country's police was often justified, but that officers performed "important" work.
