Instituto de Estudios Políticos y Derecho Público "Dr. Humberto J. La Roche"
de la Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Políticas de la Universidad del Zulia
Maracaibo, Venezuela
Esta publicación cientíca en formato digital es continuidad de la revista impresa
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197402ZU34
ppi 201502ZU4645
Vol.39 N° 68
Enero
Junio
2021
ISSN 0798- 1406 ~ De si to le gal pp 198502ZU132
Cues tio nes Po lí ti cas
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Vol. 39, Nº 68 (Enero - Junio) 2021, 708-722
IEPDP-Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Políticas - LUZ
Recibido el 21/08/2020 Aceptado el 21/01/2021
International experience of citizen
engagement in prevention of
criminal offences
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46398/cuestpol.3968.45
Olha Bakaieva *
Vadym Zmiivskyi **
Serhii Yehorov ***
Mykola Stashchak ****
Vladyslav Shendryk *****
Abstract
The objective of the article is to study the international
experience of involving citizens in the prevention and ght
against crime. The research methodology includes the following
legal, general, and special methods: logical method, hermeneutic
method, monographic method, comparative legal method,
sociological methods, abstract-logical method. The views of Ukrainian
and foreign academics on the problem of involving citizens in cooperation
with the police to prevent and combat crime are examined. It analyses the
experience of individual countries around the world on the peculiarities of
involving citizens in crime prevention. It examinesin detail the practice of
cooperation of citizens with the police of countries such as the United States,
Great Britain, Germany, and a few others. To achieve this objective, the
relevant government and regional programmes of these states were studied
and the necessary data analyzed. It is concluded that they haveidentied
circumstances that prevent the participation of the population in cooperation
with the police in Ukraine. As a result, they suggest appropriate ways to
solve these problems.
* Lecturer of the Department of Legal Disciplines of Sumy Department of Kharkiv National University of
Internal Affairs. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6483-9057. Email: gr.bakaeva@gmail.com
** Researcher of the Research laboratory on the problems of information technology development of
Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7470-1315.
Email: zmievskoy00@gmail.com
*** Ph.D in Law, Chief of the Department of investigative activities of Odessa State University of Internal
Affairs. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4118-8284. Email: 7273555@ukr.net.
**** Doctor of Law, Professor, Professor of the Department of Pre-investigative and Detective
activity of Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-
2517-0041. Email: Stashchak1@ukr.net
***** Doctor of Law, Professor Head of the Department of Pre-investigative and Detective activity of Kharkiv
National University of Internal Affairs. ORCID ID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8967-7223. Email:
Shendrikvlad@ukr.net
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Keywords: crimeprevention; citizen participation; polycial cooperation;
international experience; citizenship-police relationship.
Experiencia internacional de involucrar a ciudadanos
en la lucha contra los delitos
Resumen
El objetivo del artículo es estudiar la experiencia internacional de
involucrar a los ciudadanos en la prevención y lucha contra los delitos.
La metodología de investigación incluye los siguientes métodos legales,
generales y especiales: método lógico, método hermenéutico, método
monográco, método legal comparado, métodos sociológicos, método
abstracto-lógico. Se examinan las opiniones de académicos ucranianos y
extranjeros sobre el problema de involucrar a los ciudadanos en cooperación
con la policía para prevenir y combatir los delitos. Se analiza la experiencia
de países individuales del mundo sobre las peculiaridades de involucrar a
los ciudadanos en la prevención del delito. En lo concreto, se estudia en
detalle la práctica de cooperación de los ciudadanos con la policía de países
como Estados Unidos, Gran Bretaña, Alemania y algunos otros. Para lograr
este objetivo, se estudiaron los programas gubernamentales y regionales
relevantes de estos estados y se analizaron los datos necesarios. Se concluye
que se han identicado circunstancias que impiden la participación de la
población en cooperación con la policía en Ucrania. En consecuencia, se
sugieren formas apropiadas de resolver estos problemas.
Palabras clave: prevención del delito; participación ciudadana;
cooperación policial; experiencia internacional; relación
ciudadanía-policia.
Introduction
The deterioration of the criminal situation in Ukraine makes it necessary
to intensify the work of law enforcement agencies to combat crime (Larkin
et al., 2020). In this regard, the experience of foreign countries of citizen
engagement in preventing and combating criminal offenses is valuable for
the practice of crime prevention in Ukraine. Our State is currently in a state
of deep political, economic, and social crisis. The activity of criminal justice
bodies is unbalanced. The law enforcement agencies are in the process of
reform and qualitative organizational and managerial transformations. A
number of new criminal prosecution bodies are being set up, including in
the eld of anti-corruption.
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Olha Bakaieva, Vadym Zmiivskyi, Serhii Yehorov, Mykola Stashchak y Vladyslav Shendryk
International experience of citizen engagement in prevention of criminal offences
In this regard, the study of modern progressive foreign experience in
crime prevention with the involvement of alternative entities deserves
special attention.
The current approach of the world community in preventing and
combating crime is based on establishing partnerships between government
agencies and public and non-governmental organizations, as well as
individual citizens. The activities of the latter are directly focused on the
prevention and combating crime criminal prosecution, etc.
The study of modern progressive foreign experience of public inuence
on crime in such countries as the United States, Great Britain, Germany
is due to the fact that they are civilized democracies with high degree of
protection of human rights, established humane law enforcement practices
and the newest strategies of crime prevention.
China and Japan are interesting from the point of view of regulating this
issue within Eastern civilization.
1. Methodology
General scientic and special methods were used according to the
purpose, tasks, object and subject of research. To achieve the goal of the
Article, the following methods of scientic knowledge were used.
Logical method was used for identifying the problems of involving
citizens in preventing and combating criminal offenses in Ukraine
The method of hermeneutics was applied when considering legal acts
regulating the problem of involving citizens in preventing and combating
criminal offenses in Ukraine.
Monographic method helped in the analyses of the research of domestic
and foreign scientists who studied the issue under consideration.
Comparative and legal method made it possible to study progressive
foreign experience of the involvement of public in preventing and combating
criminal offenses.
With the help of specic sociological methods (expert surveys, public
opinion polls), information on the effectiveness of public’s involvement in
crime prevention was collected and processed.
Abstract and logical method was used for proposing the ways to solve
the problems of involving citizens in preventing and combating criminal
offenses in Ukraine on the basis of effective foreign experience.
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2. Literature Review
Dubow and Podolefsky (1982) argue that the police and the public actively
cooperate to combat crime. Citizen participation in this activity manifests
itself as collective response to crime, which means combining the efforts
of individuals to prevent and combat crime. Several or a large number of
people can interact within crime prevention; they can channel their efforts
in an organized manner or spontaneously, formally or informally. The
authors analyze the strategies aimed at stimulating the activity of citizens
in the ght against crime.
Choi et al. (2014) emphasize that police ofcers are not able to effectively
combat crime without the help of the public. The researchers are searching
for the ways to increase citizen participation in crime prevention on the
example of the United Kingdom within the article. To do this, they used a
survey of 200 citizens of London who have previously cooperated with the
police.
Schreurs et al. (2018) stress on the signicant role of citizens in
combating crime, but note that most people are reluctant to cooperate with
the police. To conduct their study, the researchers used data from a survey
conducted among 217 Duchers who lled out specially designed online
questionnaires. The results show that 4 broad categories of participation
behavior can be distinguished: social control; responsive participationж
collaborative participation; and detection.
Carr (2012) studies the peculiarities of the interaction of citizens
with the police on the example of two US cities in order to determine
the opposite features of such interaction because of contrasting contexts
and different institutional imperatives. He emphasizes that citizens are a
developing entity in the ght against crime and justies its signicant role
in cooperation with the police in the future.
UN ofcials, who have also studied the issue, say that public participation
plays an active role in in containing rising crime rates. The main attention
of the authors is paid to two questions: 1) how to use this resource in the
most effective way; and 2) how citizens can effectively assist in preventing
and combating offenses and controlling offenders. The author identies
four ways in which citizens can effectively cooperate with law enforcement
agencies to combat crime (The United Nations, 1979).
3. Results and Discussion
The increase in negative processes in social and economic life due to
the global pandemic of Covid-19, the associated collapse of the economy
and, as a result, impoverishment of the population has led to the signicant
criminal activity increase (Boiarov et al., 2020). In this regard we can
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Olha Bakaieva, Vadym Zmiivskyi, Serhii Yehorov, Mykola Stashchak y Vladyslav Shendryk
International experience of citizen engagement in prevention of criminal offences
note that the ght against crime is a difcult and continuous process,
within which both social and special measures aimed at detecting and
disclosing crimes are carried out simultaneously and in parallel (Sevruk,
2017). However, there are a number of problems that negatively affect the
investigation and detection of organized crime despite the signicant legal
support for combating such kind of offences (Pavlenko, 2018). One of these
problems is difculties with legislative regulation and practical matters
of citizen engagement in prevention and cessation of criminal offences.
Accordingly, it is necessary to study foreign experience on this issue.
As Hribov and Kozachenko (2019) correctly point out in this regard,
the condential cooperation is extremely important for Ukraine; the case
law shows that evidence obtained by undercover agents using the means
of covert transmission (xation) of information, are generally considered
inadmissible as those collected by improper subjects. Therefore, this issue
needs to be addressed immediately, through amending legal documents of
Ukraine taking into account foreign experience.
According to Article 8 of the Law of Ukraine “On investigative activities”
(LU 2135-XII/1992, February 18), operational units are entitled to use
condential cooperation in accordance with Article 275 of the Criminal
Procedure Code of Ukraine in order to perform investigative activities if
there are grounds enshrined in the Article 6 of this Law.
Art. 11 of the abovementioned Law of Ukraine states that public
authorities, enterprises, institutions, organizations, regardless of
ownership, are obliged to assist operational units in solving problems of
investigative activities. This cooperation can be concluded by written
agreement guaranteeing the condentiality of cooperation at the request
of individuals. Such an agreement can be concluded only with a capable
person. The procedure for concluding the agreement is determined by the
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
Persons involved in the performance of investigative activities are
obliged to keep the secret that has become known to them. Disclosure of
this secret entails liability under applicable law, except in cases of disclosure
of unlawful acts violating human rights.
We support the opinion of Holdberh (2016) that individuals may be
involved in investigative activities, but such activities should comply with
applicable law. The use of individuals in covert investigative (search) actions,
including controlled delivery, controlled and operational procurement,
special investigative experiment, simulation of the crime situation and
other covert investigative (search) actions, unless expressly provided by
law, is illegal. Evidence thus obtained must be declared inadmissible by the
court.
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The effectiveness of citizen engagement when conducting covert
activities by police (detective, agent) in criminal proceedings is conrmed by
law enforcement agencies of many foreign countries, such as: The Republic
of Argentina, the United States, the Federative Republic of Brazil, Great
Britain, Portugal, the French Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany
and post-Soviet countries: the Republic of Georgia, the Republic of Latvia,
the Republic of Moldova, the Republic of Kazakhstan, etc.
As Skulysh (2012) correctly noted, the indisputable achievement of the
Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine is the adoption of established standards
of law enforcement of the developed democracies, including the United
States, Britain, Germany, where pre-trial investigation of crimes is carried
out with the use of public and private, and the processing of intelligence
activities is in turn a consequence of the search for the legislative solution to
the problems of developing an effective crime control mechanism.
The analysis of the legal experience of such countries as the United
States, Germany, Belgium, Austria shows that the legal regulation of
investigative activities is carried out by the relevant “open” laws, and the
use of the results of such activities as evidence becomes common.
Experience useful for introduction in Ukraine, occurring both in
developed democracies and in post-Soviet countries, is the possibility of
direct participation of undercover agents in conducting investigative and
search measures (covert investigative actions) and the use of special
technical means to obtain and record information in criminal proceedings.
There are the following forms of involvement of citizens to preventing
crime in the United States: 1) patrolling in public places; 2) participation in
prevention programs; 3) providing information on committed crimes; 4)
participation in educational activities.
The restoration of the system of crime prevention in the United States
began in the late 80’s – early 90’s of the 20th century, the core of which
was the reform of the police. The new concept has been and continues to
be based on community policing or community-based policies. One of the
directions of this doctrine is the involvement of citizens in patrolling in
public places. The legal basis for the implementation of this preventive work
is the constitutional provisions of legislation that not only the State has a
duty to protect the rights of citizens and ensure their safety, but also the
latter has a duty to passively and actively contribute to crime prevention.
In general, the high level of public condence in the police and the
activity of citizens in law enforcement in the United States is explained
by the creation of special public organizations that coordinate work in
this area. Thus, the National League for the Prevention of Crime by the
Population was established in 1974, under the auspices of which a set of
measures within the self-defense system is carried out, which, in addition
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Olha Bakaieva, Vadym Zmiivskyi, Serhii Yehorov, Mykola Stashchak y Vladyslav Shendryk
International experience of citizen engagement in prevention of criminal offences
to joint patrols with the police, includes cooperation in crime detection,
prevention of juvenile drug abuse, etc. (Bandurka, 2003b).
Scientists estimate that community policing on the part of the local
population in the United States has been optimized since the establishment
in 1999 of the Public Patrol Association, with a special activity of 10,000 of
its members, which can be traced in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.
Despite the fact that the unemployment rate in the United States remained
stable (10%), the country managed to reduce registered robberies by 7.5%
and car theft by 19%. Experts state that the improvement in the dynamics
of crime is due to the positive effect of assistance on the part of unemployed
citizens who are involved in combating street crime (Kolodiazhnyi, 2017).
Useful is the experience of the United States in involving suspects,
accused and convicted (prisoners) on legal grounds and on the basis of the
opportunity of their release from or commutation of their criminal sentence
in case of real assistance in detecting and/or investigation of the facts of
preparation and (or) commission of an offense. It is expedient to introduce
a witness protection program in Ukraine, by analogy with the United States,
which is possible only under the above economic conditions.
Another good example of the impact on crime of public associations is
the operation of “Operation Peacekeeper”, which was introduced in 1997
in Stockton (California) and whose experience is currently used in other
US cities. The aim of the project is to reduce youth banditry and the use of
rearms. The program is designed for people aged 10 18 who are members
of organized crime groups or may be likely to be involved in the near
future. The subjects of its implementation, in addition to the police, are the
representatives of the local community, including young people-volunteers
carrying out an outreach mission in areas of concentration of adolescents
(parks, squares, residential areas). Volunteers conduct legal representation
with the members of youth gangs, explaining the latter the possible legal
consequences associated with their participation in criminal organizations
and the commission of various crimes, give examples of lawful behavior as
an alternative to crime (National Institute of Justice, 2021)
The special project “Crime Stoppers” has also become popular in the
United States; it provides for close cooperation between the media, law
enforcement and administrative agencies and volunteer informants in the
area of crime prevention. The history of this precautionary approach in
the United States dates back to 1976; initially, it laid in a free condential
telephone line with which it was possible to send anonymous information
about a particular crime or the person who committed it. The basis of
modern practice of this project is material reward in the amount of 100
to 1000 dollars to those persons who provide any information about the
committed latent crime. At the same time, commercial structures (banks,
individual businessmen) that are interested in protecting their interests
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and reducing local crime are involved in nancing the “Stop the Criminal”
program (Bandurka, 2003a).
Neighborhood Watch is another common type of program to provide
information to the police about crimes committed. This practice began in
the 1970s and then spread rapidly to Canada, the United Kingdom, and
the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Thus, in the United States, about 20%
of families live in areas where such projects operate, and a third of them
participate in these programs themselves. A key principle of neighborhood
watch is to expand informal surveillance and timely inform the police
about offenses. This leads to an increase in the number of arrests and,
as a consequence, a reduction in the level of local crime, especially its
recurrence. This practice also helps to reduce the population’s fear of crime
and increase security in the area of residence.
In 1994, the British government took the initiative under the name
“Partners Against Crime”, which aims to deepen further cooperation
between the police and the public on crime prevention. Within this
initiative, a number of programs are being implemented:
Neighborhood Watch.
Street Watch.
The Neighborhood Constable.
Besides, the Safer Cities Program has been introduced in the country
since 1983. It is not only about ghting crime, but also about eliminating
the fear of crime. Its activities are carried out jointly by local authorities,
police, private business and the public (Kolodiazhnyi, 2017).
Great Britain enshrines the institution of a special constable within
which the volunteers can perform some police functions. The system
of “neighborhood surveillance”, under which citizens participate in the
detection of offenses both individually and through public law enforcement
associations, is very common.
Work has been organized to provide advice to individual citizens and
companies on the organization of their protection. Discussions and TV
quizzes on crime prevention are held. A system of measures has been
developed to encourage citizens to be witnesses or informants in various
cases. Both individual citizens and public law enforcement associations are
involved on a voluntary basis to assist the police. According to the plans
of the country’s leadership, the number of such public associations as
“voluntary guards” should reach up to 5 million people in the future, which
is a very signicant number. Volunteers are responsible for patrolling
and retrieving information about crimes and other offenses. They are not
armed, do not have special equipment and clothing. Upon learning of the
crime, they report it by walkie-talkie to the relevant rapid response unit,
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International experience of citizen engagement in prevention of criminal offences
as the cessation of crimes and other offenses is not part of their functional
responsibilities (Muzychuk, 2002).
As mentioned above, the government and law enforcement agencies of
this country pay special attention to the activities of socially active citizens
and their preventive work in the local community at the place of residence.
This is due to the fact that, according to British politicians and the belief
of the vast majority of Britons, the rule of law is impossible without the
participation of citizens in social life, including the protection of public
order (Vedernikova, 2001).
In general, there are lively discussions among government ofcials,
law enforcement ofcers, academics, and NGOs in British society about
the current role of the police in ensuring the rule of law and protecting the
rights of citizens, the activities of the police, etc. The most common view in
this regard is the words of former British Police Secretary H. Blairs, who
noted that the best modern innovation of the British police in its history
is the creation of the so-called Community Patrol Service (CSO), which
includes the work of volunteers police assistants (Moskvychev, 2005).
Volunteers are actively used during mass events, the search for criminals,
missing persons, and in other cases of reinforcement of the formed police
force.
The institution of special constables exists in many counties and cities in
the UK, which facilitates the work of constables of the regular police force.
Special constables serve in their free time and receive an hourly wage.
Volunteers are used mainly at their place of residence. This has a positive
impact on their activity, as it contributes to the realization of personal
interest in maintaining law and order in the service area.
The experience of some British cities in introducing the position of
community safety managers, who perform a coordinating and supporting
function aimed at enhancing police partnerships with local authorities
and the local community, is useful from a criminological perspective. This
experience was rst introduced in Bracknell Forest (Berkshill) in 1992, and
later it was spread in many cities of the UK.
Another project of this city, aimed at increasing the role of the public
in crime prevention, was a program called “Safe Doors”. This lies in the
development of requirements by the local police for some civilian personnel.
Security guards of private security agencies, who perform control at
checkpoints and entrances to entertainment establishments (restaurants,
discos, cafes) are required to have no criminal record; they also have to
notify the police on the facts of violations of law and order by the visitors to
these institutions.
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There are public councils for crime prevention in Denmark, France, the
Netherlands, Sweden, and Germany. The leadership of these councils is
usually headed by authoritative politicians and managers. For example, the
board of the public council of the German district of Schleswig-Holstein
included the Minister of the Interior, the Minister of Culture, the Minister
of Justice, the Minister of Social Protection.
Crime prevention councils were established both at the land level and
at the municipal level in Germany in the early 90’s of the 20th century. In
total, this State has about 2 thousand such councils varying in purpose and
scale of crime prevention. The main ones carry out their activities at the
land level, considering crime as a local phenomenon. At the same time, the
Federal Government pursues a nationwide crime control policy.
The project called “Jet”, which was introduced in 2006 in Heilbronn
(Baden-Württemberg) and is still operating, can be distinguished from the
variety of program and preventive measures on in Germany. The essence of
this program reects its name, as it consists in the reactive, fast response
of various subjects of preventive activity to violent crime in the juvenile
environment of this city. In particular, the Heilbronn Police Department
decided to change the local law enforcement concept to limit the exclusive
response to juvenile violence already committed, while increasing the
presence of police ofcers and volunteers in public places, especially on
weekends and holidays. Of the city’s 800 police ofcers, 90 are also law
enforcement ofcers, who perform their duties in civilian clothes and
promptly notify the local police in case of wrongdoing.
The effectiveness of this project is due to the speed of criminal
prosecution of violent criminals, as well as a broad information campaign
of local media, which inform the public about the constant presence of
police and volunteers on the streets not only during mass events, but also
in other days. Besides, the key to the effectiveness of this program was the
conduct of preventive conversations with the leaders of informal groups
of adolescents, who are most often involved in mass riots. The above
precautionary measures have borne fruit, as the proportion of violent
crimes in Heilbronn has decreased signicantly, proving the need for this
project on a regular basis (The European Crime Prevention Network, 2014).
Following the example of Germany and the United States, it is advisable
to regulate the activities of persons who, on their own initiative, using
the legislative guarantees of condentiality provide reliable and relevant
information on the preparation and commission of crimes (free or for
reward). One should also take into account the experience of the Russian
Federation in standardizing the appointment and payment of remuneration
for assistance in detecting crimes and apprehending their perpetrators,
ensuring condentiality of such information and the security of persons,
who reported it. These persons cannot be considered undercover employees
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International experience of citizen engagement in prevention of criminal offences
(freelance undercover agents), but are part of the social institution of covert
cooperation. In the future a covert apparatus may be formed from among
them, and they themselves should be considered as potential candidates for
such cooperation, as practiced in the United States, Germany, and other
developed democracies.
In our opinion, effective is the system of inuencing crime with the help
of the public in Asian countries, where the activity of the Japanese police
is of considerable interest. Thus, there was particularly alarming growth of
the so-called “blind spots” in cities (the neighborhoods under the control
of criminal groups) in the late 80’s in Japan. Police ofcers are making
signicant efforts to organize the residents of these areas to jointly combat
crime and provide them with the necessary assistance. These efforts
culminate in the creation of security communities in most criminogenic
neighborhoods. Due to this style of work, close contacts are maintained
between the population and the police; people trust the police and provide
them with all possible assistance in the ght against crime and maintaining
public order (Muzychuk, 2002).
The system of inuencing crime with the help of the public in the
Republic of China is less humane, but no less effective. The core of the
system of inuencing crime in China is the socio-political structure of
Chinese society, based on socio-economic equality, general employment
and material security (at a minimum level of meeting needs). A powerful
propaganda apparatus allows to involve broad masses in solving national
problems, among which is also the ght against crime. A nationwide
campaign against crime was launched in this country, new forms of
public participation in the ght against crime appeared, and their number
increased, when alarming trends emerged in the development of criminal
proceedings. It should also be noted that the practice of national campaigns
may not always be negative, as it allows to involve almost the entire nation
in solving important problems, to integrate the activities of various state
and public bodies, to focus national efforts on the most pressing issues. The
Chinese practice of large-scale campaigns (although it is formally criticized)
has been adopted in many countries (including the United States, Japan,
etc.) (Muzychuk, 2002).
Conclusion
Analysis of foreign experience shows that the interaction of citizens with
the police is an important means of preventing and combating crime. In
most countries, the population is involved in law enforcement under both
national and regional programs. They take part in joint patrols together with
law enforcement ofcers, in conducting legal education work, preventive
talks with persons who are already involved in illegal activities or have a
tendency to commit illegal acts.
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Such cooperation can be carried out both on a paid and free basis.
Clearly, receiving a reward is an additional incentive for citizens to help
police ofcers. To stimulate the participation of citizens in law enforcement,
various methods are used: issuing free overalls, encouraging citizens’
activities with various signs of attention (from sending a letter on a birthday
to awarding commemorative signs and medals), organizing free meals,
parties, cash prizes, mentioning them in the media, announcing gratitude
to senior government ofcials all this things allows such people to feel
their importance and realize the need for their activities.
Unfortunately, Ukraine has lost a great deal of preventive potential that
existed during the Soviet period. Such forms of this activity as voluntary
peoples’ guards and team sites are a thing of the past. At present, there
is an articial inhibition of the process of greater involvement of citizens
in crime prevention activity, primarily because of the leadership of law
enforcement agencies. Certain achievements can be noted only in the
military sphere and anti-corruption activities. Currently, there are about
200 public organizations in Ukraine, the purpose of which is to form State
anti-corruption policy and limit corruption risks in the activities of various
public authorities and local governments.
The study of modern progressive foreign experience of peoples’
participation in crime prevention provides grounds for the selection of a
number of areas of its implementation in Ukraine. Activities in these areas
can be grouped as follows:
a) political (reform of outdated Soviet approaches to crime prevention,
development of political will to use modern alternative approaches in
the modernization of law enforcement, etc.);
b) legal (adoption of the new Law of Ukraine “On the Participation
of Citizens in Prevention and Counteraction to Crime”; amending
current legislation of Ukraine by supplementing the relevant legal
acts with the provisions on monetary incentives for informants who
provided information about the crime).
c) institutional and management:
creation of pilot projects in the area of crime prevention with
the involvement of citizens.
formation of a fund to pay for the services of whistleblowers
and other persons who provide important operational
information about the committed crimes.
development of volunteer activity in Ukraine for the use
of operational data of volunteers on crimes against the
foundations of national security, as well as the creation of
volunteers on a voluntary basis of public associations of law
enforcement.
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Olha Bakaieva, Vadym Zmiivskyi, Serhii Yehorov, Mykola Stashchak y Vladyslav Shendryk
International experience of citizen engagement in prevention of criminal offences
development of narrowly focused European-style crime
prevention programs, in which volunteers should take an
active part.
d) socio-psychological (protection and observance of human and
civil rights in Ukraine with simultaneous popularization of citizen
participation in the eld of crime prevention).
e) technical (participation of individual citizens in the installation of
video surveillance cameras at the place of residence; their assistance
in the technical equipment of public order patrols) (Kolodiazhnyi,
2017).
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