KIEV, Ukraine—Only a few months ago, Kiev residents would normally avoid the police if they could help it. The officer would be of no use on a complaint — or worse, would demand a bribe.
Not any longer. These days, Kiev residents approach members of a new police force that has hit the streets — and even ask to take a picture with them. It’s being welcomed as the Ukrainian government’s first visible reform since it came to power in February 2014.
In the first phase of a comprehensive overhaul, the entire traffic police corps of Kiev was disbanded and replaced on July 4 by a retrained force — with new powers to make arrests as well as issue speeding or parking tickets.
