The Role of a Community Police Officer in Shaping the Security of Local Communities — Considerations in the Context of the First National Surveys of Community Police Officers (2017)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the discussion of selected results of the nationwide community police officers research conducted by the authors in January 2017. This research is a part of the ongoing project of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration „Community police officer closer to us”. The analysis was based on the answers provided by 5,400 respondents from all over the country to the following questions: Should the role of community police officers be to carry out social prevention tasks? Are community police officers satisfied with their job as community police officers? How do they assess their interpersonal communication skills? Do they think they have prestige in the local community? Do they participate in meetings with the local community and how do they characterize the police mission? The results will be processed in 17 reports from the national community police officers research. The application of conclusions from the results of qualitative and quantitative research conducted all over Poland in 17 garrisons will have a significant impact on the dialogue between the authorities and community police officers, determining the expectations of first contact officers, their problems, strengths and weaknesses. The research carried out will increase the effectiveness of the “Community police officer closer to us” programme, one of the basic programmes of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration implemented in order to build trust between the authorities and a citizen. The research also resulted in two monographs on the functioning of the district division in Poland. The authors’research focuses on the partnership of community police officers services with the local community for internal security, taking into account the role of community police officers social and educational activities, and on drawing a professional portrait of the community police officer who is closer to people, solves problems of local communities and carries out activities in the social and educational area.