The role of police in community crime prevention Transforming Hungarian policing into knowledge-based policing

Community Crime Prevention Community Crime Prevention (later: CCP) is a professionally committed social movement aiming at achieving a better public order by –curbing consequences of underlying crime causes –reducing risk of victimisation –diminishing incidence of offending CCP clusters professional and civil agents of crime prevention National Crime Prevention Board is CCP headquarter National Strategy of Community Crime Prevention is in force from November 2003

Public Order – a socially devoted approach Public order is –a collective achievement of the society –a result of the co-operation of efforts & endeavours –a product of the whole community accomplished by co-operation of social & professional partners Police is a key player in establishing public order None of the possible partners has monopole position in producing public order

Structure of the Hungarian police Hungarian police is –highly centralised –militarised –separated from civil administration Unchanged is good even in a changing world Changes worsen efficiency Sworn police officers are subordinated to a strict and militant hierarchy

Functions of the Hungarian police Key functions of the Hungarian police involve –criminal law enforcement –maintaining public order – the concept of visible policing –traffic enforcement –immigration enforcement (due to soon merger with now independent Border Guard) Hungarian police is a uniform organisation – no functional or professional independence is granted either branches of police activities Hungarian police is a militarised organisation – being a brave police officer is often simplified to following orders & commands

Efficiency of the Hungarian police The police appraises its own efficiency –it supplies the gauge to measure –it monopolises the data upon which its appraisal stands No outsiders or ‘civilians’ shall be welcome to evaluate the police and its work No cost & benefit analyses The police always appraises its work & performance perfect and assumes itself the best possible solution

Performance of the Hungarian police Hungarian police does reactive policing & focuses on law enforcement It is widely empowered to implement means of secret & under cover detection (police intelligence) Maintaining public order & traffic enforcement often involves challenging everyday citizens for ID without reason No full compliance with human rights, fundamental freedoms & constitutional safeguards

Knowledge of the Hungarian police Police is the fieldworker of law enforcement Police still holds the monopoly of case-oriented knowledge, i.e. –has a general overview of the crime complex –experiences changes in both structure & volume of crime –perceives shifts in territorial features of offending –holds the knowledge of how to investigate into and enforce criminal offences Police is a key supplier of crime statistics in Hungary Police possesses enormous forensic expertise

What is CCP waiting from the police To be a co-operating professional partner To pay attention to the needs of those communities it serves & protects To be considerate to community policing values To work together in preparing people not to conceive public order any more as a social service funded and supplied by the government To contribute to strengthening self-defence capabilities of citizens, communities and market players

What makes policing knowledge-based Giving up believing that police is the monopole supplier of public order Approaching crime problems with a CCP attitude Employing knowledge & expertise CCP accumulated in everyday policing Involving citizens & municipalities in producing & maintaining public order Being open towards recent findings of criminal sciences and criminological research

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