Normative Provision of Personal Safety of the Employees of the National Police of Ukraine

Abstract

The level of normative provision of personal safety of the employees of the National Police of Ukraine has been clarified. The normative base of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and the National Police of Ukraine in regard to ensuring the personal safety of a police officer has been analyzed. It has been established that the normative level stipulates a norm on ensuring the personal safety of police officers in the performance of their official duties, but the legislator does not provide an explanation of the essence of the concept of personal safety. The lack of the definition of this concept in regulatory acts gives rise to a number of discussions among scholars in various fields of research. The most successful definitions of the concepts of security and personal safety of law enforcement officers have been consistently studied. In accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On the National Police” and in order to ensure the personal safety of police officers and to prevent the death, injury and trauma of them and others during the handling of weapons, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine approved the Instruction on security measures when handling weapons, which is only a part of the official activities of police agencies (institutions, organizations) and does not reveal the essence of the content of personal safety. It has been offered to regulate the high level of performance of police duties by police officers, i.e. to supplement the Law of Ukraine “On the National Police” or the relevant bylaws with the definition of “personal safety of police officers”, which can help to address theoretical and practical issues on developing concrete measures to increase the personal safety of police officers and to stop discussions on understanding this concept.