Open society



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OPEN SOCIETY” FOUNDATION

BULGARIAN LAWYERS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS” FOUNDATION

M A N U A L

FOR THE REGIONAL POLICE INSPECTOR’S OPERATION IN PROXIMITY TO THE PUBLIC


Sofia, 2003


INTRDUCTION
The manual for the regional police inspector’s operation in proximity to the public is a part of the draft project of the “Bulgarian Lawyers for Human Rights” non-governmental organization for theoretical and practical education of the regional inspectors on identifying and solving the problems of the community.

The theoretical aspects of “The Police Proximity to Public” doctrine and the practice of its implementation in Europe and the USA are presented in the first chapter of the manual.

The principles and techniques for establishing of public partnership in the serviced region are presented in the form of recommendations in the second chapter. The practices on application of the “discussing problems approach” in the regional inspector’s operations on the criminality prevention are also examined.

The following chapters are dedicated to the professional behavior and the different dimensions of the social and helping function of the RI in his work with the vulnerable groups from the population and the victims of crimes.

Translation materials, tracing the origin and evolution of the community police and the foreign experience in developing and solving particular problems and cases, are enclosed in the third chapter of the manual.

Authors of the manual are associate professor Dr. Valentine Todorov and Boyko Slavtchev.



Chapter One

THE “POLICE IN PROXIMITY TO THE PUBLIC” DOCTRINE AND ITS APPLICATION IN THE PRACTICE OF THE BULGARIAN POLICE



Section I. POLICE IN PROXIMITY TO THE PUBLIC – A NEW POLICE THEORY AND PRACTICE.

1. EUROPEAN POLICE STANDARDS.

The requirements for the organization and the activities of the police in the democratic state are worded in the following international acts:

1. European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedom.1

2. Code of Conduct of High Officials on Maintenance of the Legal Order.2

3. Council of Europe declaration for the police of 1979.

The above enactments show the ambition of creating uniform aims and principles for organization and activities of the police systems in the democratic society.



In 2001 on the basis of the listed enactments and the changes made in the police models of the EU member states, a Recommendation (2001) 10 on the European Code of Police Etiquette of the Committee of Ministers of the member countries was, adopted.

The values and standards, which the Police in modern society are to comply with, have been made clear in the European Code of Police Etiquette. The governments of the EU member states are recommended to follow the principles set forth in the European Code of Police Etiquette, in their local legislations, the police practices and codes of police conduct.

The European Code of Police Etiquette establishes the following basic aims of the police activities in the democratic society:

  • To maintain peace, law and order in the society;

  • To protect and respect the personality’s basic rights and freedom the way they are set forth in the European Convention for Human Rights;

  • To prevent and control crime;

  • To discover crimes;

  • To assist and serve the public;.

The following principles of police activities are also stated in the European Code of Police Etiquette:

  • A lawful regulation of the police activities and equal administration of law towards all citizens;

  • Respecting human rights;

  • The Police is a public institution servicing the society;

  • The police activities have been done in close contact with the public and its effectiveness depends on the support of the public.

The latter principle is directly connected with the understanding that the police serve the public and its activity should be done in close contact with the public. Since there are different models of establishing and maintaining close contacts with the public in Europe, only some fundamental requirements for the organization of the police systems have been fixed in the Code and they are as follows:

  • The Police should be organized in such a way as to gain the public confidence as a professional custodian of law, servicing the public;

  • The Police should be organized in such a way as to help its good relationship with the public, the local authorities, the other government authorities, the non-government organizations and the citizens, as well as with the representatives of the ethnic minority groups;

  • The Police should produce an objective information on its activities to the public without disclosing classified information;

  • Effective measures should be taken for fighting against corruption in the Police;

  • The police staff should treat the society with respect and honesty, taking into account the specificity of the situation of the vulnerable groups in particular;

  • The Police should report to the state, the citizens and its representatives.

The listed recommendations show the experience acquired by the developed democracies by the implementation of a new police model called “Police in a Proximity to the Public”, which has replaced the so-called “professional” or “traditional” police method.

2. REASONS FOR THE FORMATION OF THE “POLICE IN PROXIMITY TO THE SOCIETY” PATTEREN.

The following defects of the “professional” police model have brought to the development and implementation of the ‘Police in Proximity to the Public” model in the developed countries.


  • Too great bureaucracy of the police system;

  • Separation of the Police from the citizens’ necessities;

  • Poor coordination and duplication of the functions between the offices;

  • The priorities of the police work are defined by the ranking sections without taking into account the local necessities of security;

  • The Police aim at reaching their own quality criteria usually in the sphere of organized grave crime etc.

The study of the police activity effectiveness made in the USA and Europe in the 80s gave the following results:

  • Increasing the police presence neither decreases the overall crime level nor does it increase it.;

  • Decreasing the time of arriving at the scene of the accident does not increase the probability of detecting the offender and does not increase the people’s satisfaction of the police work;

  • If an area is glutted with enough patrols this does not mean that criminality decreases there, it only temporarily moves to other areas;

  • Grave crimes like murders, thefts, burglaries and rapes have rarely been prevented and discovered by the police patrols;

  • Crimes are more rarely disclosed through thorough investigations but more often through particulars given by citizens, voluntarily offering information.

The listed defects of the “professional” police pattern and the results from the investigations made, were the reasons due to which in the 80s the police activity pattern was gradually formed. It was called “Public Security” in Great Britain, the USA and Canada and “Police in Proximity to the Public” in continental Europe.

The aim of this pattern is to shorten the distance between the police and the population creating an atmosphere of cooperation.

3. THE NEW ROLE OF THE POLICE IN THE CIVIL SOCIETY

The “Police in Proximity to the Public” pattern underlines the idea that in the civil society:



  • The police is a part of the public and the public helps the police;

  • The police is a part of the numerous state authorities carrying out activities on providing security for the citizens;

  • The basic aim of the police is to solve people’s problems and increase their sense of security in the conditions of a partnership with the state and public authorities and the citizens; transparency, accounting and preventive purpose of the police operations;

  • The priorities of the police operations in towns and villages are determined together with the public;

  • The main indicator for reporting on the police effectiveness operations is the public’s satisfaction of the results.;

  • The main information comes from the citizens on the basis of established relations of interest and confidence;

  • Prevention is a basic tendency in the police activities and is carried out with the public’s wide support.

Accepting the police as a service to the society works a change in the relationships between THE STATE, THE POLICE AND THE SOCIETY. With the traditional police pattern the state has a priority in defining the tasks and quality of the police activities, while in accepting the police as a service to the society, the civil society has a leading role in defining the priorities of the activities and the assessment of the quality of the police activities.

4. COMPONENTS OF THE “POLICE IN PROXIMITY TO THE SOCIETY” PATTERN.

The “Police in Proximity to the Society” pattern consists of several basic components: 1. Public partnership; 2. Problem orientation; 3. Equality; 4. New police culture; 5. Change in the social mission of the police; 6. Enlargement of the civil control on the police activities; 7. A new approach to the quality of the police activities.



4.1 PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP.

Development of public partnership means that the police should develop its relationships with the society and all its components, establishing relations of confidence and partnership in solving the problems of order and security. Through partnership the isolation of the police will be overcome and everybody living or working in the given settlement, will be engaged in solving the problems of criminality on local level.

Public partnership requires that strong contacts be established with the local administration authorities, the non-government organizations, the mass media, the schools, and the private security companies to solve problems of security in the town or village. Within the frames of this pattern such forms of cooperation like signing of security public contracts, establishing of commissions for public order in the municipalities, arranging close contacts with the medias, developing of local security programs etc. are more often used.

It is desirable the cooperation to be done on local level, taking into account the local characteristics and needs for security.

The conditions for a successful partnership within the frames of the “Police in Proximity to the Society” pattern are defined in the specialized literature as follows:



  • The most important thing is the presence of a common aim;

  • The aims of partnership should be clearly defined, i.e. they should have clear terms and results;

  • Partnership should be on the basis of a mechanism built for a two-way information exchange between the police and the institutions;

  • The policemen should realize the new mission of the police, they should accept it and make it worthwhile;

  • It is desirable partnership with the public be realized within the frames of different programs;3

Demonstration of open position in front of the public through reports in front of the mayors, the municipal councils and citizens, regular press conferences in front of the mass media, organizing of a comfortable system for receiving citizens, direct informal meetings with the inhabitants of the town or village, the non-government organizations, the school managements, people doing business on the territory of the municipality etc.

Demonstration of high standards of professionalism within the frames of understanding the police activity as a public service – quick respond to signals, improving the access to the police services, police presence to the vulnerable places, quality work on the complaints, effective police production, a choice of the activity priorities depending on the local needs, new approach to the quality of the police activity. .

Responding to new criminality problems – narcotic addiction, infant delinquency, new forms of criminality.

Demonstration of concern to local problems - to go through and understand the citizens’ problems, to help the municipal social services and the municipal activities, good outer appearance of the policemen and high communication culture.

Forming of new thinking in the police organizations through accepting the idea that the police activity is a kind of a service to the society and it accepted to be seen as a kind of a public service.

Improving the police service through showing concern and assistance to those who need it, establishing contacts with the minority groups, overcoming cases of unlawful force and arrogance; one and the same quality of the police service for the poor and the rich, the minority and the majority, permanent preventive operations in the serviced districts. .

Winning the public confidence with the basic aim of a partnership. This confidence would bring to the increasing of the information quantity for the police and directing the police operations to the causes and conditions for committing crimes and breaches of the public order.

4.2 PROBLEM ORIENTATION OF THE POLICE ACTIVITY.

The problem approach” is a wide term which contains more of the disclosure and detection of the criminal or the offender of the peace. The matter in hand is an approach in which the accent falls on the preventive operations on doing away of the conditions for committing crimes and offending the peace. The identification of these conditions would be more effective if members of the community living or working in the territory of the district take part in it.



The new dimensions of the preventive activity go out of the crime frames and include propagandizing of civil values and morality; solidarity and mutual aid among neighbours in securing their personal security, prevention of narcotic drugs and town violation, prevention in schools; rendering assistance to victims etc.

Establishing relations of cooperation and confidence between the police and the society improves the quality of the preventive activity and its results.

The problem-orientated approach supposes the active participation of the population in choosing the police activity priorities in the town or village. It may often turn out that the population is not particularly worried about the demonstrative shooting down of a drug dealer, but about the security of the children on their way to school, the security for cars in front of the blocks of flats, burglaries from homes, fields etc. Although the high activity of the police with explosions or shooting between criminals, it may turn out that their inhabitants of the town or village think that a lot of means and energy have been wasted on the investigation of these cases and not enough attention has been paid to their everyday needs for security. This is why the “Police in Proximity” pattern requires the active engagement of the population in defining the priorities of the police operations in the district and the town or village.



Taking into account the public need of security requires from the police offices to pay more attention to: the annihilating of public equipments, the fight with violation in the street, in schools and in the family, providing security for road transport, for roads and cities, security for homes, children, the young and the old. In this way the traditional police approach for securing a normal condition of criminality on the served territory is replaced by the so-called “global approach to security” with which the security of the separate citizen is measured through his personal sense for security and the police activity is directed to the elimination of all dynamic and potential threats of the city environment.

Within the frames of the problem approach the police is obligated not only to solve the citizens’ problems but also to inform them about the results from the measures taken .The opposite connection is an obligatory condition for the improvement of the connections with the society and a decrease of the fear of crimes.



4.3 EQUAL TREATINTG OF THE CITIZENS .

The equal treatment of citizens is an integral part of the “Police in Proximity to the Society” pattern. This principle means that the served citizen groups are equal users of police services and they have to receive equal quality services without any discrimination. In this respect it is desirable to secure representativeness of the police in view to all ethnic groups inhabiting the area. Such representativeness allows the police to get near to the needs of the whole population.

4.4 NEW POLICE CULTURE.

The “Police in proximity to the society” pattern requires the forming of a new police culture based on respecting the human rights and codes conduct of the police officials.



4.5 A CHANGE IN THE SOCIAL MISSION OF THE POLICE.

A change is also needed in the social mission of the police through development of its assistant function in respect to the crime victims, the ethnic minorities, the immigrants, those suffering from different kinds of violence in the family, at school, in the street etc.



4.6 . ENLARGMENT OF CIVIL CONTROL

The introduction of this pattern requires also enlargement of the civil control forms on the police activity, transparency of the activity and its results; struggle with the corruption and the cases of force misuse or other powers in the police system.



4.7 . A NEW APPROACH TO THE QUALITY ACTIVITY

An integral part of the “Police in Proximity to the Society” pattern is the new approach to the quality of the police activity. Unlike the traditional police with the “Police in Proximity to the Society” pattern the quality of the activity is not defined only by the organization management but by the citizens as well since the police activity is considered as a kind of public service. The public service nature shows the satisfaction of the population needs in the area. This approach requires the use of a number of tools for the assessment of the police quality activity, i.e. quality questionnaires, reports of public organizations, assessments of municipality councils, research of the public opinion, impressions of the quality abroad etc.

Together with such traditional measurement of police quality activity such as the ratio between the crimes done and the crimes disclosed, with the “Police in Proximity to the Society” pattern the following are evaluated :the condition of the system for the public information input, the system for breaking of the law claims and signals, the results from allowances of all assistance claims asked by the population etc.

Part II. INTRODUCTION OF “POLICE IN PROXIMITY TO THE SOCIETY” PATTERN IN THE BULGARIAN POLICE ACTIVITY

On the order of the minister of interior in July 2002 was formed a permanent work group for development and realization of the practical “Police in Proximity to the Society” pattern.






The reasons for forming of the working group are as follows:

  1. The approximately high level of criminality and unsatisfactory state of the public order;

  2. The overtask of the police for solving current tasks and the shortage of material resources;

  3. The orientation towards repressive practices from the type of specialized operations, saturation of the territory by patrols etc.;

  4. Unsatisfactory state of the relationships between the citizens and the police;

  5. The expectations of the society for improvement of the security of every citizen.

The workgroup includes representatives of different sections of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the “Open society” foundation. As a results of the work of the workgroup a “Strategy for the Police Work Near to the Society” was developed, and it was approved by the Minister of the internal affairs with order Ib-907 from 30.10.2002. In the strategy the mission, strategic goals and main tasks for the first three years of the implementation of the pattern in the police activity are determined.
Police mission

The police aims to establish an open, productive and useful partnership with the society by executing its functions in assuring the public order and security in the conditions of full transparency and receptiveness of the people’s rights, dignity and needs. A key element in establishment of a partnership is the increase of the public confidence and the support of the citizens of the police who executes its functions reliably and with a high quality.

Strategic goals
  1. Defining the priorities of the police work in compliance with the social needs.

  2. Increas of the citizens’ sense of security.

  3. Increase of the social satisfaction from the police activity

  4. Overcoming of the alienation and establishing relations of partnership and cooperation between the police and citizens.

  5. Fear decrease of criminality through prevention.

Main tasks of the strategy

First year:

Study of the social needs, education of the police officers and popularize of the pattern among the society, establishment of partnership and improvement of the mechanisms of reporting and feed-back from the part of the police to the society.



Second year:

Development of specific programs for prevention of criminality, considered with the public expectations and the specific needs of all public groups.



Third year:

Making popular the effective practices from the previous years and their integrating in one pattern for the realizing of the national police activity.


Specific tasks of the first year

Studying the public needs and the level of satisfaction from the police work.

  1. Updating the systems for primary and following education of police officers inconformity with the “Police in Proximity with the Society”pattern

  2. Improving the contacts with public and the police cooperation with the public and the police interaction with government and non-government organizations and local authorities.

  3. Improving the social contacts quality and encouraging the citizens and institutions participation – potential partners in solving the problems connected with a citizens security.

  4. Improving the access to the police services.

  5. Developing and realizing of a program of public relations and the mass media in correspondence with the prinsiples of the “ Police in service to society “ pattern.

Up to now the basic plans of the working group have been developed.

The plans contain the following main undertakings, relevant to the Regional Inspector’s activity:

  1. Improving the work with the information given;

  2. Opening of enough reception rooms for the Regional Inspectors and their equipment;

  3. Improving the activity on receiving citizens.;

  4. Informing the citizens on the results about the work concerning the claims and the signals in time;

  5. Opening of post boxes for signals and proposals form the citizens;

  6. Creating an organization with the aim the Regional Inspectors (RI) to regularly inform the municipality about the condition of the public order;

  7. Holding of regular meetings with company managements, enterprises, banks and currency bureaus to discuss the problems of order and criminality;

  8. Regular meetings in schools on the problems of security end prevention;

  9. Holding regular and periodical meetings and reports in front of the citizens about criminality and securing the public peace;

  10. Updating the Regional Inspectors instruction;

  11. Working out of criteria for the Regional Inspectors work estimation;

  12. Optimizing the Regional Inspectors structure and staff and junior Regional Inspectors and improving their technical equipment.

We will study the practices for application of the “Police in proximity to Society” the main pattern components in the Regional Inspector activity.

AGAINST CRIMINALITY

Some measurements of your professionalism :

  • maintain high level of disclosure of the offences performed by unknown doer;

  • react to very signal for committed offence or violence of the public peace;

  • punish every violence of the public peace;

  • report all crimes;

  • try to correctly shape the processual documents so that there is no way to avoid liability;

  • deminstrate substantial physical presence in your district patrolling regularly;

  • insist on situating the forces and means of PPD which covers the vulnerable spots in your district at the vulnerable time;

  • try to be there where you are required and do not wait to be called for;

  • carry out specialized operations against the factors causing crime in your district;

  • take preventive measures at the gathering points of the criminal contingent;

B/ ALIENATION AMONG PEOPLE

The alienation among people is one of the factors stimulating the illegal conduct as the social anonymity creates conditions for doing crimes.

Evidence for that is the high crime level in the big cities and the low crime disclosure at public places.



Your actions :

  • attend the meetings in the blocks of flats an try to persuade the people to notify for all cases in which they suspect a crime is being done against the property or the personality of their neighbors;

  • give them the telephone numbers of the police station and try to persuade them in the anonymity of the information given;

  • depend on the adults and children who spend most of the time at home or in he street;

C/ WEEK POINTS IN THE HOME AND OBJECT PROTECTION :

  • do protective investigation of the vulnerable commercial and industrial objects in your districts and assist their owners to take preventive measures;

  • make a program for crime prevention in the summer house areas, parks, schools and other vulnerable spots on your territory and get down to work in collaboration with the other competent authorities;
D/ PREVENTION AMONG THE VULNERABLE GROUPS OF THE POPULATION

PAY ATTENTION TO THE VULNERABLE GROUPS OF THE POPULATION – WOMEN, CHILDREN AND MINORITIES AND HELP THEM
CHILDREN

  • Pay special attention to the children to protect them from homelessness, drugs, violence and commitment in criminal actions..

  • Pay special attention to school guard, guard of discos and other places where children gather.

  • Try to secure the traffic near school and kindergardens..

  • Fight drug spread at schools.

  • Make checks for keeping the alcohol ad cigarettes sales to underaged bans in your district.

  • Perform regular checks in casinos to make sure that the Regulation for organ gambling organization is observed and approach the control authorities responsible for gambling.

  • Carry out specialized police operations monthly for keeping the peace round the schools and at places where drugs are sold.

  • Apply the Child protection law in all cases of homelessness, begging and violence to children.

  • Provide guard at all public events, carried out in schools.

THE WOMEN

  • Apply the law in cases of violence in the family and take measures for victims protection

  • Fight the prostitution in your area

  • Consider all claims for violence in the family

  • Give consultancy to the victims for their legal rights

THE MINORITIES

  • Get acquainted with the minorities in your area and with their customs, traditions and leaders.

  • Make clear the criminal factors raising unleagel behaviour and try to eliminate them in cooperation with the municipality, local leaders and single citizens.

  • Help all undertakings aiming improvement of the quality of life of the minorities.

  • Treat respectfully all culture differences and overcome the prejudices

  • Do not forget that our country has undertaken engagements before the EU to lead a policy of respect and protection of the minorities.

TRY TO ENLARGE THE CIRCLE OF YOUR PARTNERS IN THE SPHERE OF THE GENERAL PROPHYLACTICS

  • Seek partnership with the municipality, prosecutor’s office and the school management for eliminating the factors raising criminality in your area.

  • Inform the local society for the results of your activity for counteraction to the criminality and keeping the public order

  • Inform the citizens for the results of your preventive activity



GENERAL PREVENTION PROGRAMS

The general prevention programs are acknowledged by the world police practice for the most efficient mean of achieving the goals of the general prevention. Development of programs for settlements territory prevention is recommended also by the “Police in Proximity to the Society” doctrine.

The most widespread forms of these programs are the public security contracts which we’ve already considered and the programs for the personal safety of the citizens.

3. PROGRAMS FOR PREVENTION OF CRIMES AGAINST THE CITIZENS

Below are some examples of prevention programs used in Europe:1

PREVENT THE THEFTS OF AND FROM CARS!



  • If you park in the street, try to leave you car in a cardet car park or at least in a very well lighted place.

  • When you drive in then town, keep the dors locked.

  • Install a security alarm system.You can use a metal lever to lock the wheel.

  • Put special locks on the door and the boot.

  • Don’t take any unknown people in your car on the roads.

  • Every time you get out of your car, take the key with you,leave the wheel blocked and close well the dors,the windows and the boot.

  • Don’t leave in your car.

  • If you park in the street, try to leave your car in a guarded parking place or at least in a well-illuminated place

  • When you drive in the city keep your doors locked

  • Install an alarm system. You can also use a metal stick for locking the wheel

  • Install special locks on the doors and the boot

  • Do not take strangers from the roads

  • Always take the car keys with you when you go out of the car, leave the wheel blocked and close well the doors, windows and the boot

  • Do not leave valuable things in the car, credit cards or other important documents

  • It is recommended that you engrave the registration number of the car on the windows

  • Do not leave anything for show in the car

  • When you travel in the country increase the safety measures

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THEFTS AND ROBBERIES IN THE STREETS!

  • Try as far as possible not to pass through deserted or bad-illuminated places.

  • Move on the reverse side of the car traffic and bring your purse on the inside side of the pavement.

  • Carry only the necessary amount of money with you and distribute them in your pockets. Avoid keeping money in the back pocket of your trousers.

  • If you have a credit card do not make a record of the code number

  • Before using an ATM machine carefully look around for suspicious persons. If you notice anything suspicious do not use the ATM.

  • Pay an increased attention when get into and get down while you travel in the public transport. If somebody pushes you make sure your purse was not stolen.

  • . When shopping do not leave you bag not even for a moment.

  • It si preferable that you do not use a bag with long handles.

  • Avoid wearing jeweles in show.

  • Shout and cry out for help – thus you could scare your attacker and attract the attention of other people.

  • Look intently the distinguishing features of your attacker – age, hеight, color of hairр nationality, accent, clothing, direction of the escape etc.

  • The more detailed is the information for the criminal the easier he will be found.

  • If the attacker or the thieves are severall, concentrate on one of them and try to remember his distinguishing features.

  • Inform the police about the crime and tell everything you remember.

WATCH OUT FOR FRAUDS!

  • Always be suspicious to the easy deals.

  • Do not talk about business with strangers.

  • Do not forget that in most of the frauds two or three criminals who pretend not to know each other usually take part

  • Never withdraw money from the bank on strangers’ request even though they offer you a big benefit.

  • Before you make a payment or sign papers consult specialists, read the small letters and carefully examine everything connected to the date, the amounts, the stamp and signature.

  • Ask for identification of the persons who come in your house for repairs, checks, payments etc.

  • Check if these activities are legal by calling the company

  • There exist a wide range of frauds when the affected person, tempted by the desire for easy money let himself to be lied - “there is- there no”, money change, favors in institutions etc.

WATCH OUT FROM THEFTS!

When traveling:

  • Carry just the necessary things.

  • Control your bags, luggage and belongings
In public places:

  • Avoid to show out big amounts of money in public paces

  • Make your payments by transfeing in accounts

  • Keep your bag and wallet from the crowd

  • Keep your wallet in your inner pocket

  • When you make considerable payments or receivables be accompanied by someone.

  • Sometimes punctures are used to robber you.

  • If some kind person tell syou that your jacket or coat are dirty while helping you he can stole your wallet.

  • Remember that the crashes can be used for stealing purses and wallets
At home
  • Do not make deals, purchases or gestures of humanity with strangers.

  • Remember that often many nice-looking occasions are used to enter your house

  • Do not open the entrance door to strangers who tell they are going to your neighbours

  • Do not trust when they offer you a technical support you haven’t asked for 2.

TRY TO DEVELOP SUCH PROGRAMS FOR THE CITIZENS IN YOUR AREA AND BRING THEM TO THEIR KNOWLEDGE






















Part III. ETHIC CONDUCT

1. PUBLIC TRUST AND ETHIC CONDUCT


To win the public trust is one of the goals set to the “Police in proximity to Public” model. The public trust is directly related with the public image of the police.

The study of the police public image held in 2001 by the Institute of Psychology of the Ministry of Interior1, has shown that the public trust is influenced rather by the events resulting from the morality than from the events related to the efficiency of the police.

The citizens are particularly sensitive to the moral part of the policemen’s conduct – appearance, attitude to the citizens, behavior in public places, abuse of power, indifference. They want the police to treat them politely, to respond to their claims, to treat them equally, not to succumb to corruption, to stand close to them. Those are the issues related with the professional police ethics.


2. THE NOTION “POLICE PROFESSIONAL ETHICS”

The term “ethics” usually refers to:4


  • Cumulative moral principles and values;

  • The rules or standards regarding the conduct of the members of certain profession.

The personal ethics involves the morality, the values and the convictions of the individual personality.

The professional ethics involves the standards and norms that govern the behavior of all the representatives of a given profession.

3. INTERNATIONAL ETHIC STANDARDS FOR THE POLICE.


The first attempt to set up international standards for the conduct of the civil servants (officials), who have police competencies and apply the law, dates back to 1979 when the Code of Conduct of the Civil Servants for the maintenance of the legal order was adopted by virtue of resolution 34/169 of the UN General Assembly.
Ethic values of the modern police organization:

  • Observing the common interest – dedication and selflessness and not satisfying one’s own interest;

  • Serve the public – readiness to work for the common welfare any minute;

  • Openness - truth, justice, correctness, fight against the superficial, trivial, demagogy, hypocrisy and any kind of double-dealing;

  • Morality – struggle against corruption;

  • Sense of duty – the responsibility above anything;

  • Creative responsibility – ambition to improve;

  • Loyalty to people and principles;

  • Transparency – clarity of ideas and actions;

  • Respect for pluralism;

  • Tolerance;

  • Openness to the public and the citizens.

Codes of Conduct of the police officers have been worked up on the basis of the above principles in a number of European states.
4. ETHIC VALUES THAT WE HAVE TO GET TO

The Bulgarian Code of Ethics of the national police is still in process of development. However on the basis of the 2000 draft and the outlined European ethic values of the police we can formulate the following values of conduct you have to try to get to:



Observe the Constitution and the laws!

  • Your actions must conform to the law.

  • Obey the orders of the principals.

  • Do not abuse the power.

  • Keep the rights of the citizens.
Keep the dignity of the office!

  • Do not do damage on the office interests..

  • Do not discredit the authorities.

  • Disseminate more complete and true information as much as you can.

  • Differentiate the personal opinion from the objective facts.

  • State if you speak on your behalf or on behalf of the office.

  • Keep the dignity of your colleagues.
Be at disposal of the public!

  • React to any request for assistance.

  • React to any crime or violation of the order.

  • Be accessible to the population and the local authorities.

  • Show serious attitude and attention to the people’s concerns.

  • Direct the citizens to the institutions, which can assist them in the case.

  • Participate in all the local initiatives for the improvement of the quality of life.
Be impartial!

  • Avoid any action that may cast suspicion on your impartiality.

  • Respect the dignity of any person no matter the occasion of the contact.

  • Do not discriminate the citizens by any reason or indication.

  • If you are prejudiced and partial to the case, summon up other colleagues to solve the problem.

  • Do not declare in public your political views and sympathies.

  • Maintain strict neutrality to the political parties and their followers.
Be incorruptible!

  • Do not use your official position to your benefit.

  • Do not fall in dependence on people and organizations

  • Do not use the official information for your personal benefit or in favour of third parties.
Do not abuse power!

  • Apply force only if it is impossible to carry out your duties otherwise.

  • The use of force must cease immediately upon achieving the goal of the law..

  • Do not disgrace and do not torture the detainees.

  • Use guns as a last resort only.
Consider the importance of communication and attention to the citizens!

  • Show understanding, compassion and support to the citizens.

  • Demonstrate readiness to help them to solve the problem.

  • Be polite to the citizens and let them talk.

  • Keep confidential the information about the personal life of the citizens.

  • Use literary and understandable speech.

Be tidy and pay attention to your appearance!

  • Keep your clothing and shoes tidy.

  • Maintain perfect personal hygiene – shaved, haircut and clean hands.

  • Carry the assistance aids and the guns correctly.

1 European Convention on Protection of Human Rights and Freedom. Ratified by an act, passed by the National Assembly on 31 July 1992, State Gazette issue 66 from 1992 , effected for the Republic of Bulgaria 7 September 1992, published in the State Gazette, issue 80 from 2 October 1992, amendment, issue 137 from 1998.

2 Code of Conduct of High Officials. Passed by the United Nations Organization General Assembly with a resolution 34/169 from 1979.

3 Ganchevsky B., Radoslavova M. The Ministry if Interior Mission in the Transition to Civil Society, C., IP Mimistry of Interior , Science Works, p. 1415, C., 2001.

1 Todorov V., The Public Image of the Police, Publishing House of the Ministry of Interior, 2001

4 In service and protection of society. Norms of the human rights and the human law for the police and the security forces. International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva, 1998.

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