Current trends in public involvement in crime prevention policing

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National Academy of Internal Affairs

Current trends in public involvement in crime prevention policing

Oleksandr Dzhuzha Doctor of Law, Professor

Valerii Siuravchyk PhD in Law

Tatiana Shumeiko Doctor of Law

Abstract

police public preventing offence

The relevance of this study is substantiated by the need to implement a strategy of public influence on crime, to improve police-public interaction in the field of crime prevention, new forms and methods of which can be implemented in the activities of the National Police. The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive investigation of the practices of involvement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities aimed at preventing offences, and of the legal framework in this area. According to the purpose and objectives set, the study employed general and special methods and techniques of scientific cognition, including the methods of analysis, synthesis, classification and grouping, which made it possible to investigate a wide scope of scientific discussions on the issues raised. Based on the analysis of secondary sources, it was found that researchers state a prominent level of public trust in the police and other law enforcement agencies, as well as in state and local governments in economically developed countries. Most researchers attribute this to the positive results and consequences of involving the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in policing activities to prevent crime, protect public safety and order, and protect the rights and freedoms of citizens. It was found that in the modern scientific discourse, such successes are associated with the establishment of effective channels of communication between the police and the public and legislative regulation of such interaction. In this regard, the study elucidated the views of researchers on the approaches to regulatory support for the involvement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities in preventing offences in different countries. The study argued the need for legislative consolidation of certain forms and methods of involvement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities aimed at protecting public safety and order, protecting life, health and property of citizens, and preventing criminal offences. The review of the current state of scientific research on the issue formed the basis for further theoretical developments in the field of organising effective interaction between law enforcement agencies and society

Keywords: community engagement; interaction; community police; crime prevention; public safety

Анотація

Сучасні тенденції залучення громадськості до поліцейської діяльності в запобіганні правопорушенням

Олександр Джужа Доктор юридичних наук, професор Національна академія внутрішніх справ

Валерій Сюравчик Кандидат юридичних наук Національна академія внутрішніх справ

Тетяна Шумейко Доктор юридичних наук Національна академія внутрішніх справ

Актуальність статті обґрунтована необхідністю реалізації стратегії громадського впливу на злочинність, удосконалення взаємодії поліції з громадськістю у сфері запобігання злочинності, нові форми та методи якої можуть бути імплементовані в діяльність Національної поліції. Метою статті є комплексне дослідження досвіду залучення громади, громадських організацій та окремих громадян до поліцейської діяльності в запобіганні правопорушенням, нормативно-правового забезпечення в цій сфері. Відповідно до поставлених мети й завдань у статті використано загальні та спеціальні прийоми та методи наукового пізнання, серед яких: методи аналізу, синтезу, класифікації та групування, які надали можливість опрацювати широкий спектр наукових дискусій з порушеної проблематики. На основі аналізу вторинних джерел встановлено, що дослідники констатують високий рівень довіри суспільства до поліції та інших правоохоронних органів, а також до органів державної влади й місцевого самоврядування в економічно розвинутих країнах. Більшість учених пов'язує це з позитивними результатами та наслідками залучення громади, громадських організацій та окремих громадян до поліцейської діяльності щодо запобігання правопорушенням, охорони публічної безпеки та порядку, захисту прав і свобод громадян. Встановлено, що в сучасному науковому дискурсі такі успіхи пов'язують з налагодженням ефективних каналів комунікації між поліцією та громадськістю і законодавчим регулюванням такої взаємодії. У зв'язку із цим з'ясовано погляди вчених щодо підходів до нормативно-правового забезпечення залучення громади, громадських організацій та окремих громадян до поліцейської діяльності в запобіганні правопорушенням у різних країнах. Аргументовано необхідність законодавчого закріплення певних форм і методів залучення громади, громадських організацій та окремих громадян до поліцейської діяльності з охорони публічної безпеки та порядку, захисту життя, здоров'я, власності громадян, запобігання кримінальним правопорушенням. Здійснений огляд сучасного стану наукового опрацювання проблематики формує підґрунтя для подальших теоретичних напрацювань у сфері організації ефективної взаємодії між правоохоронними органами й суспільством

Ключові слова: залучення громади; взаємодія; громадська поліція; запобігання правопорушенням; публічна безпека

Introduction

The topic of involvement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities to protect public safety and order, life, health and property of citizens, as well as to prevent criminal offences, has become of particular significance for modern Ukraine, since, with the exception of the declarative Law of Ukraine “On Citizens' Participation in the Protection of Public Order and the State Border” of 22.06.20001, the regulatory framework for public influence on crime is limited. It is this Law that still regulates the involvement of public associations in the protection of public security and order, the protection of the state border, and their assistance to law enforcement agencies in preventing offences. As of 2023, there is an inconsistency at the legislative level regarding the procedural prerequisites for the involvement of community-based organisations and individuals in police activities in the field of crime prevention. That is why the experience of different countries in engaging the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in policing to prevent crime is valuable in terms of public influence on crime.

Involvement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities to protect public safety and order, life, health, and property of citizens, and prevent criminal offences is particularly relevant due to the problems of defence and countering external military aggression, which requires the involvement of community representatives in the defence of the country. That is why, in today's environment, there is a need for additional public involvement in interaction with the police to ensure the safety of citizens and their property, as well as to assist law enforcement in preventing offences. Thus, investigation of the world practices of involving the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities to protect public safety and order, protect life, health, property of citizens, and prevent criminal offences is one of the most relevant issues for further improvement of the National Police of Ukraine.

According to S.V. Medvedenko et al. (2019), involvement of the public in law enforcement and interaction of law enforcement agencies with the population has always contributed to the maintenance of law and order. The current state of development of society requires the application of up-to-date approaches and principles of police interaction with the public, including the involvement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities to prevent offences. Ukraine is striving to integrate into the European community and meet European standards, including in policing, which encourages law enforcement agencies to abandon old methods and constantly search for new ways, be more open to society, and serve people using modern means and new effective methods. As pointed out by V.G. Androsyuk et al. (2018), the history and current trends of police-public interaction in crime prevention and public involvement in law enforcement and safe environment represent a significant source of information. This source is not only possible, but also crucial to use, selecting the best and appropriate forms and methods for the conditions and characteristics of Ukraine.

Considering the findings of A. Wantenaar & D. Govender (2023) that interaction between the police and society is a key factor in reducing crime, the leadership of Ukraine's highest state authorities should pay attention to positive practices and approaches to engaging community-based organisations and citizens in crime prevention when formulating state internal policy. K.V. Kysyliova (2021) shares this opinion. The findings of Mangai et al. (2023) also support this view, showing that community policing is a modern policing paradigm that improves police-public relations, prevents crime, reduces disorder and anti-social behaviour, promotes a sense of security, and improves police and community accountability. U. Kabanda (2022) noted that community policing reduces the probability of crime and influences the behaviour of potential victims of crime at the grassroots level. It is in this context that N. Ekici et al. (2022) noted that community involvement in public order is a best practice in modern policing and is becoming an increasingly popular strategy for law enforcement agencies internationally, used in many countries.

Considering such consensus on the positive impact of police-public interaction, further developments in this area require a generalisation of international practices. The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive coverage of current scientific research on the experience of involving the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities in preventing offences.

The specific purpose makes provision for the analysis of the regulatory framework for the involvement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in crime prevention at the level of individual countries in comparison with the legislation of Ukraine; investigation of the current state and forms of involvement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in crime prevention in different countries; assessment of the results of individual countries in implementing crime prevention programmes by local communities

This study employed general and special methods and techniques of scientific cognition. Using heuristic methods and methods of analysis, the study analysed certain aspects of regulatory support for police-public interaction in preventing offences and the coverage of the world practices of administrative and tort legislation in the field of combating criminal offences in the scientific literature. In analysing secondary sources, the study employed the methods of classification and grouping to better understand current trends in the field of investigating the topic of police-public interaction in preventing criminal offences.

Community involvement in policing

One of the key components of police interaction with the public in preventing crime is the practice of regulatory support for the involvement of the public in preventing crime. The international practices are an intermediate element between the criminological theory of involving the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in crime prevention policing and its direct implementation. As indicated by M.G. Kolodyazhnyi (2017), the legislative consolidation of the norms of ensuring the involvement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities in preventing offences is a form of expression of theoretical provisions for law enforcement practice.

The opinions of V.G. Androsyuk et al. (2018) are correct, who noted that the implementation of international practices in legal regulation, including the use of psychological support for police interaction with the public in preventing offences, will optimise the communication competence of police officers, improve their activities in the modern realities of life in many countries, promote public trust in the activities of police officers in preventing offences, establish their partnerships, and reorient the professional activities of police officers towards providing assistance to citizens. As shown by the research of A. Chand et al. (2022), the public's perceptions of police performance are shaped by their experiences and interactions with the police, which can affect trust, perceived legitimacy, and future cooperation between the public and the police in preventing criminal offences.

According to A. Wantenaar & D. Govender (2023), community policing plays a key role in reducing crime. In their study, the researchers aptly noted that community members and community-based organisations are involved in the Community Policing Forum (CPF) and subsequent assistance to the police, a private security force in the South West Tshwane Police Area in Gauteng, South Africa (SAPS). Individual interviews were conducted with 36 participants specially selected from the police stations of Laudium, Lyttelton, and Verdabrug. The findings showed that due to a range of factors, the police alone cannot reduce crime in communities. The researchers recommended a multidisciplinary approach wherein the CPF, private security firms, and community members cooperate with the police to mobilise community policing expertise and use all forces, means, and resources to achieve a safe environment for all citizens.

The introduction of the First Nations Policing Programme (FNPP) in Canada in 1992 was intended to provide professional and culturally appropriate policing that meets the needs of the community, with the public and community-based organisations involved in policing, but these efforts have not achieved the desired results. In their paper “Policing in the Community: Perceptions of Officers Working with Indigenous Communities”, N. Jones et al. (2019) examined police performance based on a survey of 827 police officers who policed indigenous communities in 2014, comparing the results of surveys conducted in 1996 and 2007 by different groups of researchers who asked the same questions of police officers who policed these places. The survey results showed that community perceptions of the police have changed, as police officers in 2014 were less likely to favour key aspects of community policing, such as getting to know community members, seeking help from the community or receiving assistance from community-based organisations, and the number of police officers was increasing.

As noted by J. Mutupha & Y. Zhu (2022), the Government of Malawi has adopted the concept of community policing as a means of promoting public involvement in the police's crime fighting activities. Considering that community policing has been in existence in Malawi for over a decade, this study was conducted to holistically identify the challenges associated with community policing with a view to providing empirically validated strategies for effective implementation. In their study, J. Mutupha & Y. Zhu (2022) used a case study approach. Purposive sampling was used, on the one hand, to select the research site, the central regions of Malawi, and to select police officers working as community policing coordinators and community members working in community policing forums. A quota sample was used to select police officers and community members from each district. Finally, convenience sampling was used to select police officers and community representatives within each district's quota. Focus group discussions were held with 16 community police forums; interviews were conducted with 16 Community Policing coordinators; and a questionnaire collected data from 144 community members and 200 police officers. The findings showed that community members are dissatisfied with the way police officers implement community policing, as the police do not provide sufficient protection from criminals and generally treat the community poorly. Community members were involved in community policing mainly because of the deteriorating crime situation in the community, their personal fear of crime, and the need to be recognised by the police. Factors that impede the implementation of community policing include a lack of knowledge about community policing on the part of police officers; a lack of recognition of community involvement in police activities; corruption; lack of confidentiality; poor working relationships; and a lack of resources. The concept of community policing continues to receive unprecedented attention in police reforms around the world. Every year, the number of reports on the application of this concept in police work increases.

M. Mangai et al. (2023) explored the perspectives of community policing in South Africa, specifically on the strategy of citizen engagement in crime prevention, focusing on the work of the Johannesburg Police. The findings of the cited study proved the effectiveness of community involvement in the activities of sectoral police, street patrols, and the use of social media by citizens as partners of the police in crime prevention. However, certain challenges were also identified, such as resource constraints and difficulties in the regions where the police operate. This study has contributed to a broader understanding of community-police partnerships for practical outcomes in South African crime prevention policing, suggesting areas for improvement and adaptation. This knowledge can help optimise efforts to strengthen police-community relations, build public trust, and ultimately improve crime prevention outcomes. South Africa is one of the countries that imported the concept of community policing from Western Europe and North America. Community policing was introduced in the SAPS Act in 1998/1999 and was adopted as the operational philosophy of SAPS. Based on the results of a study of community policing in South Africa by G. Lamb (2021), the effectiveness of community policing is still debatable, although some researchers (Peyton et al., 2019; Khahla, 2023) argue that it has been successful in creating legitimacy and improving service delivery.

According to A. Abaho (2023), contemporary changes in crime reveal the need for stronger intelligence-led policing methods for sustainable community-police partnerships and improved community engagement in public safety and crime prevention. Community involvement and partnerships with law enforcement are essential to identifying threats and vulnerabilities, collecting, analysing, and sharing crime data, and addressing vital community issues. Since 1989, the Uganda Police Force has focused on building the image, trust, and confidence of the police in helping the community prevent crime. The introduction of crime prevention tools and local defence units (LDUs) to support the police in fighting crime, patrolling neighbourhoods, and gathering intelligence has instead led to allegations of excessive use of force, human rights abuses, and complicity in crimes. Intelligence-led policing (ILP) aims to improve community safety based on analysed information for strategic, operational, and tactical advantages in crime prevention. The police were given priority in preventing crime, while the collection of intelligence for investigating and preventing crime stayed the responsibility of the community. This recommended the community-based policing integrated with ILP to effectively detect, prevent, and combat crime and improve policing.

H. Lee et al. (2019) investigated the determinants of community support for police work in a small town. Specifically, community representatives are willing to cooperate with the police and take part in various crime prevention programmes, which depends on the community's perception of police work. The results of the survey showed that most respondents support the involvement of community representatives in police activities. The researchers also examined the significance of demographic factors, community characteristics, as well as public perception and experience of community involvement in crime prevention.

The community policing approach to crime prevention and public safety and order, which is considered an English-American method, has gained popularity and positive impact on crime and is now widespread throughout the world. The need for differentiated local implementation has raised important questions about the major features of community involvement in policing for the development of programmes and plans for police practitioners. The study by M. O'Neill et al. (2023) was based on interviews with 323 community representatives and police officers in eight countries. The researchers proposed a dynamic model for engaging community members in policing. This original model outlined the conditions, actions, and goals of the so-called Community Policing (CAP), as well as the key components necessary for effective community involvement in policing. The CAP model is being adapted while maintaining a sense of what Community Policing does as a unique and identifiable method of policing.

M.M. McCarthy et al. (2019) investigated the impact of community-oriented policing in 64 socially disadvantaged communities in Australia. The study proved that a community-oriented approach to policing has an impact on police performance and varies with the level of violent crime. The results of multilevel Poisson modelling showed that there is no general relationship between informal and formal involvement of community members in policing. However, the essential conditions of police interaction with the community have had an impact on the prevention of violent crime.

A. Koci & T. Gjuraj (2019) investigated the practices of involving community representatives in policing in Albania, where the police is central to ensuring public safety and order on the democratic principles of policing in the country. The involvement of community representatives in policing is consolidated in national and local police strategies, which require close cooperation between the police, local authorities, and non-governmental organisations in identifying and addressing the needs of local police. The implementation of this initiative is an attempt of reforms in Albania to reorient the police towards ensuring respect for human rights, which affects the relationship between the police and citizens. This concept can be considered as a valuable tool for improving police communication with the public and encouraging community members and police to work together to reduce crime.

G. Mesko et al. (2019) analysed the relationship between police officers and residents in Slovenia. The study focused on police officers' and residents' perceptions of mutual respect, quality of relations and willingness to cooperate with police officers in performing the main tasks of community policing. The survey sample consisted of 520 police officers and 1,266 residents from 24 Slovenian municipalities and police stations. The results of t-tests and analysis of variance showed that there are differences in perceptions of relationships and willingness to cooperate with police officers in their principal tasks. The results of the regression analysis showed that the factors of the quality of relations and willingness to cooperate with the police depend on the performance of tasks by community members to help the police, gender, personal income, and the size of the municipality.

It is worth agreeing with the opinion of O. Kostiushko (2019), who based the concept of police-public interaction in crime prevention on the “9 principles of modern police work” drafted by British Home Secretary Robert Peel, who in 1829, opposing the existing private police, introduced the concept of municipal police in London, which focused on crime prevention and systematic patrolling. The most important of the principles is that the police should maintain communication with the public, as the police is a representative of the public, and police officers should involve representatives of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities related to the protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens, their property, protection of public safety and order, and prevention of offences. As an aspect of involving the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities in preventing offences, S.V. Medvedenko (2019) considers communication as a process of information exchange between the police and community representatives, which contributes to increasing the level of public confidence in police activities in preventing offences.

According to C.C. Chu et al. (2021), public involvement in policing can prevent crime, increase citizen participation, and contribute to the democratisation of policing. Starting in the mid-1990s, Taiwanese police agencies began to involve community members in their work. The practice includes planning forums between the police and the community on security and policing issues. One of the key principles of community policing is the involvement of citizens in the activities of the police to ensure public safety and order.

A. Al Manhali et al. (2022) have shown that globally, the concept of community policing has been applied in a variety of individual strategies to meet the needs of specific environments and is based on common goals that include engaging the community to assist police activities to ensure public safety and prevent crime. In parallel, police agencies and public authorities have developed a range of targeted campaigns to support and enhance community involvement in policing to help build safer communities. Combining soft power with community engagement in policing is a central objective of the Abu Dhabi Police (United Arab Emirates). At the same time, the findings of Chinese researchers Y.N. Wu et al. (2021) showed a positive impact of the use of CCTV cameras by the police on the effectiveness of collective interaction between the public and the police, and formal and informal social control through CCTV contributes to the public's willingness to cooperate with the police.

According to S. Dlamini (2020), policing in multiracial communities is an important and contemporary challenge for the police, as culturally diverse local environments pose many social and organisational challenges in terms of community relations, problem solving, and security. That is why the quality of community involvement in policing in local communities is an important research topic in criminology and police training and requires special competencies.

Having analysed the coverage of police activities in individual countries in the scientific literature, it can be concluded that there is a general consensus among researchers that economically developed countries adhere to global standards of policing, and therewith, each country has its history of law enforcement development, unique features of customs and mentality of the population, as well as its own specifics that determine certain features and forms of police interaction with the public. J. Pyo (2023) points out that a prominent level of public trust in the police, state institutions, and community-based organisations is an indicator of the development of the rule of law and, accordingly, trust in the police is an objective criterion for determining the effectiveness of its activities.

Accoridng to J. Ublacker & T. Lucas (2023), many large German cities have expanded the capacity and legal powers of their municipal policing services to focus the points of engagement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in policing in central areas characterised by a concentration of social problems, reinvestment in the built environment and a prevailing sense of insecurity and a need to improve the quality of life. The researchers examined the specific features of local cultures of police oversight and their relationship to community policing. The researchers concluded how the habit of control of the local community population influences changes in police activities to ensure public safety and order and prevent offences, and through neighbourhood-specific requirements, social control was formed and used. Requirements for maintaining order come from both the supply side of the community's permanent residents, businesspeople, and the demand side of new residents. Germany also uses the concept of community policing, which involves the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in policing to prevent crime. The principal tasks of the police in this area include measures to ensure interaction between the police and the public in the performance of their professional duties. Thus, the involvement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in crime prevention policing in Germany is a prerequisite for effective policing.

Problems of implementing international practices of police-public relations into national practice and legislation

M.G. Kolodyazhnyi (2014; 2017) refers to the international legal acts that lay the foundations for involving the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities to prevent offences as documents of relevant international institutions operating in this area. International institutions include the United Nations as a general international organisation that, specifically, issues special documents on ensuring police-public interaction in preventing crime. In terms of the strategy of involving the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities to prevent crime, its significance and specific features of application in practice should be considered together with other international legal documents regulating this activity. These include the UN Resolution “Measures to Promote Effective Crime Prevention” UN Economic and Social Council Resolution No. 2002/13 “Measures to Promote Effective Crime Prevention”. (2002, July). Retrieved from https://www.unodc.org/documents/justice-and-prison-reform/crimeprevention/resolution_2002-13.pdf., which states the crucial role of active involvement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in policing in the field of crime prevention, ensuring public safety and order, protecting the rights, interests, and property of citizens in society. It is the involvement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities to prevent crime that forms an essential element of police work and can be expressed in the identification and implementation of priority preventive measures, public trust in police activities, and control over these activities. This international act also addresses the doctrinal foundations of community involvement and partnerships, which are essential elements of the modern concept of crime prevention and explains the concept of “community” in the context of involving the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in policing activities to prevent crime at the local level. One of the key principles of crime prevention is cooperation of various subjects of preventive activity.

M.A. Hansen & J.C. Navarro (2023), having investigated the US Global Police Report, noted that between 2020 and 2021, there was the largest decline in trust in local police than in other regions of the world (Gallup, 2022). Citizen surveys on public trust in the police in 2020 and 2012 recorded values below 50% for the first time since the Global Law and Order Report began recording public attitudes towards the police (Gallup, 2023). In 2022, according to the data collection, there was a record small number of citizens who trusted the police (45%) in the thirty years of the M.A. Hansen et al. (2022) data survey. These trends are significant because, as noted by M.A. Bolger et al. (2021), people with less trust in the police are less likely to cooperate with the police. At the same time, a study by C.S. Coper et al. (2022) proves that such cooperation increases trust and respect for patrol police.

V.G. Androsyuk et al. (2018), noting the partnership of the police with the public and the formation of its trust, the combination of principles and methods of communication in professional policing, rightly emphasised the facilitation of EU institutions to this process. The researchers noted that police activity does not merely refer to preventing offences, but also to taking preventive and proactive measures to avert the commission of any offences. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) encourages police cooperation with the public and the involvement of individuals in crime prevention activities, which contributes to the successful fight against crime, development, and improvement of the quality of life of citizens in society. It is emphasised that involvement of citizens and public organisations in police activities aimed at preventing offences, ensuring public order and safety of citizens in society requires mutual obligations and accountability between the police and the public. It is also important to consider the provisions of UN declarations in ensuring public involvement in crime prevention. Specifically, the materials of the last three UN congresses on crime prevention and criminal justice focus on the implementation of this strategy in the law enforcement practice of different countries. For instance, it is emphasised that effective action in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice requires the involvement of national, regional, interregional, and international institutions, intergovernmental and non-governmental public organisations. This also includes the media and the private sector, and it is important to define their respective roles and contributions to law enforcement.

The public, community-based organisations, and individuals in crime prevention policing are involved according to the priority areas stipulated by such key international legal instruments as the European Code of Police Ethics¹ and the Declaration on Police Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers to the Member States of the Council of Europe No. Rec (2001)10 “On a European Code of Police Ethics”. (2001, September). Retrieved from http://pravo.org.ua/files/Criminal %20justice/rec1.pdf. Resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe No. 690 (1979) “On the Police”. (1979, April). Retrieved from https://pace.coe.int/pdf/b665278876aaf96f6c0da9ef97f75b4d5e6facb095940fd07465d1ce5c673c34/res.%20690.pdf, which recommend that states organise their police following professional standards of the public, community-based organisations, and individual involvement in crime prevention policing. The police should not only ensure public safety and order, prevent crime, but also perform social and service functions to help citizens in various areas of life, which is confirmed by the studies of E. Loeffler & T. Bovaird (2020) and J. Laufs & Z. Waseem (2020).

The Bangkok Declaration Report of the Eleventh United Nations Congress No. A/Conf.203/18 “On Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice”. (2005, April). Retrieved from https://www.unodc.org/documents/congress/Documentation/11Congress/ACONF203_18_e_V0584409.pdf., adopted at the Eleventh UN Congress, in Clause 9, stipulates the important role of individuals and the public, civil society, non-governmental and community organisations in contributing to the prevention of crime and terrorism and in combating them. Clause 34 of the Declaration prescribes the need to consider measures to prevent the growth of urban crime, including by improving international cooperation and building the capacity of law enforcement and judicial authorities in this area and by promoting the involvement of local authorities in cooperation with civil society.

The Salvador Declaration Report of the Twelfth United Nations Congress No. A/Conf.213/18 “On Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice” (2010, April). Retrieved from https://www.unodc.org/documents/crime-congress/12th-Crime-Congress/Documents/A_CONF.213_18/V1053828e.pdf., adopted at the Twelfth UN Congress, in Clause 33, defines the responsibility of states to develop and adopt policies in the field of crime prevention, as well as to monitor their implementation and evaluate their results. Clearly, these efforts should be based on the broad participation and cooperation of all stakeholders, including civil society. Clause 34 of the same declaration points to the significance of strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors in preventing and combating crime in all its forms and manifestations. It is worth agreeing with the opinion of M.G. Kolodyazhnyi (2017) on mutual and effective exchange of information, knowledge, and practices of public authorities in the development, improvement, and implementation of measures to prevent offences.

The successful practices of police work, as evidenced by the above opinions of researchers, convinces of the need for regulatory mechanisms that can be used in the work of the National Police of Ukraine. The key to the experience of police interaction with the public is the focus on developing professional knowledge of police officers, among which the most important is the resolution of conflict situations among the population through the involvement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities.

V.G. Androsyuk et al. (2018) investigated the legal acts of some countries in the field of community involvement in policing. Thus, Article 5 of the Organic Law of the Kingdom of Spain No. 2 of 13 March 1986 on Security Forces and Corps Organic Law of the Kingdom of Spain No. 2/1986 “On Security Forces and Corps”. (1986, March). Retrieved from https://www.boe. es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-1986-6859. Law of the Republic of Portugal No. 53/2007 “On the Organization of the Public Security Police of the Republic of Portugal”. Retrieved from https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/lei/53-2007-641142. prescribes the principles of police interaction with the public, which include the ability to establish communication between police officers and the public. Article 4 of the Law on the Organisation of the Public Security Police of the Republic of Portugal No. 53 of 20076 states that the Public Security Police are not entitled to settle conflicts of a private nature and can only perform public order actions in such cases.

Having analysed the international and Ukrainian practices of legal regulation of police communication with the public, V.G. Androsyuk et al. (2018) noted that the Law of Ukraine “On the National Police” Law of Ukraine No. 580-VIII “On the National Police”. (2015, July). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/580-19. stipulates that the principal factors of involvement of the community and individual citizens in the direct work of police officers in the field of protection of human rights and freedoms, public security and order, as well as prevention of criminal offences, include such principles of professional activity as openness, transparency (Article 9), interaction with the population based on partnership (Article 11).

Notably, the right of Ukrainian citizens to freedom of association in public organisations for the exercise and protection of their rights and freedoms is prescribed in Article 36 of the Constitution of Ukraine¹. Following the Law of Ukraine “On the Participation of Citizens in the Protection of Public Order and the State Border” Constitution of Ukraine. (1996, June). Retrieved from http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/254к/96-вр. Law of Ukraine No. 1835-III “On the Participation of Citizens in the Protection of Public Order and the State Border”. (2000, June). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1835-14#Text., citizens of Ukraine are entitled to establish public associations according to the procedure established by this Law to take part in the protection of public order and the state border, as well as to assist law enforcement agencies in preventing offences. According to the Law, the involvement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals is necessary to protect the life and health of citizens, the interests of society and the state from unlawful encroachments, as well as to assist in the rescue of people and property in case of natural disasters and other emergencies. Public order and state border protection organisations can be established based on public amateurism, including general groups of public formations and specialised groups that provide support to the National Police and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Ibidem, 2000..

It is worth agreeing with the conclusions drawn by K.S. Izbash & N.V. Dombrovan (2022), who noted that the involvement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities in preventing offences should be as follows: management of territorial police units meets with representatives of local self-government bodies to discuss police activities and identify current problems of public safety and ways to solve them; police representatives inform the public about the state of law and order in their jurisdiction and conduct legal education classes for the public; when engaging the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in crime prevention activities, representatives of the police and the community develop joint projects and activities to improve the effectiveness of the police in fulfilling its tasks and meeting the urgent needs of the community. Therefore, to improve and effectively perform their duties of protecting public safety and order, it is necessary to ensure the involvement of representatives of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities, considering the needs of the local community and certain groups of its population. At the same time, as rightly pointed out by V. Bondarenko & S. Yesimov (2019), the development of such legislation should factor in public opinion on this issue, which will serve to increase trust and ensure the legitimacy of law enforcement agencies.

In this regard, there is a substantiated need to consolidate legislatively the forms and methods of involving the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities aimed at ensuring public safety and order and preventing criminal offences. Such legislative regulation should consider the need to create stable channels of information exchange between the public and police officers, as well as help police officers improve their competencies necessary for them to perform a wide range of tasks related to interaction with citizens and perform service functions.

Conclusions

By accumulating the views of researchers and legal positions, this study analysed the current state and principal forms of public influence on crime, involvement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities in preventing offences in several countries. The practices of some countries in engaging the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in policing activities to protect public safety and order, protect life, health, and property of citizens, and prevent criminal offences is an example for implementing public influence on crime in countries that suffer from the problem of low public trust in law enforcement agencies.

The study analysed the types of police interaction with the public in preventing crime in different countries of the world. It was found that in modern scientific thought, the involvement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities in preventing offences is considered a crucial factor in protecting the rights and interests of citizens, their property, ensuring public safety and order in society. Most researchers believe that an integral part of involving the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in crime prevention policing is communication, exchange of information between the police and the community, which ensures effective performance of tasks by the police and contributes to the increase in public trust in the police. According to scientists, such ties between society and the police will not only help to fight crime better, but also prevent it. Some studies suggest that public engagement is not only a method of police work, but also the basis for its effective operation, which should be considered as a guarantee of increased legitimacy of police activity and strengthening of social control. In this regard, the study substantiated the need to consolidate legislatively the forms and methods of involvement of the public, community-based organisations, and individuals in police activities aimed at protecting public safety and order, protecting life, health, and property of citizens, and preventing criminal offences. According to the researchers, such legislative regulation should consider the need to create stable channels of information exchange between society and police officers and to improve their communication skills. In this regard, a promising area for future research is to analyse the current state of police-society relations in countries with low levels of trust in law enforcement agencies to identify problems that impede effective police-community cooperation.

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