NCJ Number
203618
Journal
International Criminal Justice Review Volume: 13 Dated: 2003 Pages: 90-109
Date Published
2003
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This article focuses on the transition of the Prague Police (Czech Republic) toward a democratic organizational structure and style in the postcommunist era.
Abstract
The research used semistructured interviews with key informants (n=12). These included representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, the Police Presidium, the Prague Police, drug policy, and public opinion. The interviews addressed the characteristics of Prague policing before the transition to democracy, the organizational changes that occurred during the transition, and the legal changes that occurred in the post-1989 period and their impact on policing. During the communist regime in Czechoslovakia, individual liberties were suppressed or denied under the conviction that this served the common good. The Police Act of 1991 redefined the role of the modern police in Czech society and brought about major legal change. It is clear, however, that the Prague Police have a long way to go before democratic principles are consistently reflected in organization and style. Most of the difficulties are related to the slow progress toward democratization in other institutions of Czech society, notably the courts. Crime has increased in the Czech Republic in the post-communist era, and case processing has been slowed, such that police, who are restricted in the length of time for detention, cannot hold defendants sufficiently long to be processed by the courts. The nature and speed of transition toward democratic principles of policing will depend greatly on the progress being made in other Czech institutions. 51 references