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Voluntary People's Druzhina
Voluntary People's Druzhina (Dobrovolnaya
Narodnaya Druzhina, DND) variously translated as Voluntary
People’s Guard, People’s Volunteer Squads, People's
Volunteer Militia, etc. were voluntary detachments for maintaining
public order in the Soviet Union similar to the Neighborhood
Watch.
After the Russian Revolution of 1917 there were
various forms of non-governmental workers and peasants'
organizations, which were disbanded by early 1930s. Instead the
Voluntary Society for Support of Militsiya was created. In 1932 it
was subordinated to militsiya and renamed to "Militsiya Support
Brigades".
The system of VPDs was introduced according to
the joint resolution of the CPSU Central Committee and USSR Council
of Ministers of March 2, 1959 On the Participation of the Workers
in the Maintenance of Public Order, which formalized and widely
propagated the 1958 Leningrad invention of the Voluntary People's
Druzhina formally independent of militsiya. The druzhinas were not
subordinated to militsiya and the management staff was established
from various Soviet organizations: Soviets, trade unions, Komsomol,
etc.
The patrolling druzhinas themselves were often
accompanied by police officers (militsioners), for general guidance
and official support. Although druzhinas were informal, they could
perform citizen arrests of various petty offenders: drunkards,
hooligans, etc. They were also used to support militsiya in
performing non-dangerous arrests and other law enforcement
duties.
The 1974 USSR Supreme Soviet Presidium Ukase
"About the Main Duties and Rights of Voluntary People's Drushina in
Guarding the Public Order" governed the druzhinas until the
dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Druzhinas mostly operated in urban
neighborhoods. Druzhinniks were distinguished by red armbands with
the text "DND" or "druzhinnik" on them.
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