Cooperation and collaboration between the Polish Police and Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland in terms of ensuring security and public order

Abstract

Ensuring security and public order is one of the most important, constitutional objectives of the State and at the same time the task of many public authorities. The Police is leading, uniformed and armed formation in a system of public safety authorities whose overriding operating objective, determined by the legislator is to serve the society by protecting people’s safety and maintaining security and public order. However, in carrying out tasks related to such vast area of activity, the Police does not have to be unassisted. Natural partner for the Police is the army, despite the fact that the main task of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland is to protect the State and society from external military threat. This study aims to characterize formal foundations and scope of cooperation between Polish Police and Armed Forces in terms of ensuring security and public order. For this purpose, legal basis for providing support for the Police by the Polish Armed Forces under the laws on: state of emergency, natural disaster, crisis management, the Police, counter-terrorism actions and general obligation to defend the Republic of Poland and issued regulations based on them were examined. This article also refers to the issue of cooperation of the Police with the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland on the basis of concluded agreements.