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Ways of Ensuring Social Respect and Support for the Activities of the Police

NCJ Number
239648
Journal
Internal Security Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Dated: January - June 2012 Pages: 7-16
Author(s)
Aleksandr N. Pastushenia
Date Published
June 2012
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article analyses the citizens' attitude towards police officers.
Abstract
This article analyses the citizens' attitude towards police officers, which is an indicator of the social evaluation of their work and shows the degree of people's willingness to render assistance in supporting law and order. The author believes that the citizens' attitude towards police officers influences the public sense of justice: a positive attitude reinforces readiness to follow the law and fulfill the demands of law-enforcement authorities, a negative one triggers a negative attitude towards the state's law-enforcement system, standard regulations and compassion towards particular types of people brought to legal justice. Forming a positive attitude towards police authorities is a very important task. It should be based on understanding the necessary content of this attitude, on the factors that influence this attitude and on the ways it is formed. A lot of attention is paid to the main objectives, aimed at making police officers adjust their professional activity and behavior, as well as their views, attitudes and other traits, to ensure public respect. The author comes to the conclusion that earning public respect by police officers requires a comprehensive approach that includes improving the character and style of professional activity, providing informational support and developing, by both management and police officers, professional awareness, along with certain skills and attitudes. The scientific development and implementation of special measures strengthening social support of the police and stimulating social activity for the support of law and order is also very important. (Published Abstract)