NCJ Number
181662
Journal
International Journal of Police Science & Management Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Dated: December 1999 Pages: 199-216
Date Published
December 1999
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article reviews the literature concerning the police systems in Central and Eastern Europe.
Abstract
The dramatic social and political changes taking place in Central and Eastern Europe have inevitably influenced the structure and functions of the police, particularly where citizens associated the police with maintenance of the former regime. Following an account of policing in the past, the article focuses on the changes in recent years. Two issues are of particular note. First, developments, and public perceptions of those developments, vary widely. Second, while some aspects of policing, such as victims’ perceptions, have been considered in some detail, others, such as police officers’ views, have rarely been considered. The political and public will for change has been dissipated by the rising tide of crime in societies in transition, with the police being at least partially blamed. Evidence suggests that the police services are characterized by low morale and occupational deviance. Research is needed on the ways police perceive the situation and how they react to public criticism. References