The heat on the Kiev street is 30C, but the uniforms worn by police officers Yulia Timchenko and Oleksandr Krotov are new and crisply ironed, and the two stand and smile for nearly an hour, even politely answering questions from passers-by.
The officers are waiting for the driver of an illegally parked SUV near Khreshchatyk, the Ukrainian capital’s main drag, so they can hand down a fine worth $12. But they also have a broader aim: to build trust.
Their behaviour marks a bold break with usual practice in Ukraine, where distrust of corrupt law enforcement has long run deep. For decades, the most common form of the country’s endemic graft has involved drivers slipping cash into their wallet with their ID papers when pulled over for traffic violations, with the money then discreetly pocketed.
