Developments in Policing in Central and Eastern Europe (From Policing in Central and Eastern Europe: Deviance, Violence, and Victimization, P 81-87, 2002, Milan Pagon, ed. -- See NCJ-206198)

• NCJ Number: 206203
• Author(s): Guido Brummelkamp
• Date Published: 2002
• Length: 7 pages
• Sale Source: College of Police and Security Studies
• Publication Format: Book (Softbound)
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Slovenia

Annotation

Based on information obtained from 10 nations in Central and Eastern Europe, this paper provides an overview of changes in the relationship between the police and the public, summarizes developments in combatting organized crime, and describes changes in management styles and police training.

Abstract

The 10 nations that provided relevant information on their police forces are Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. All 10 nations reported intentions to make fundamental changes in police functions that would enhance the ability of the police to address the safety needs of the citizens rather than to be a tool of state interests. These intentions, however, have not been realized in practice due to persistent outdated management styles with notably paramilitary features, existing legislative definitions of the police mandate, and police resistance to duties that are service oriented or related to crime prevention. Virtually all the countries of Central and Eastern Europe have experienced an increase in organized crime in the past few years. Laws designed to facilitate policing against organized crime have not yet been enacted and updated to address the many new manifestations of organized crime within and across national borders. The structural and comprehensive approach to environmental and financial crimes perpetrated by organized crime is still in its infancy in the 10 countries. These countries must rapidly learn how to counter new forms of crime, and police action must be tailored to the policies and practices of the European Union member states. The focus should be on strategy formation, the development of more encompassing investigations, uniformity in the involvement of intelligence services, and improvement in technical criminal investigation. At the core of planned changes in policing must be training that reflects effective strategies for countering the new forms of crime facing European nations. In many countries, training is still based on the old system of policing. 11 references