Community policing Lithuanian experience Kestutis Lancinskas Head of

Community policing Lithuanian experience Kestutis Lancinskas Head of International Co-operation Unit Police department at the Mi. O Kingdom of Bahrain 11 -15 October 2003

POLICE SYSTEM Brief introduction of Lithuania; l Lithuanian police; l Lithuanian way of Community policing. l

LITHUANIA EUROPE

FACTS ABOUT LITHUANIA l l l l Territory: 65 303 km 2 Population: ~3, 49 mln. State language: Lithuanian State structure: 10 counties, 62 municipalities Currency: Litas Capital: Vilnius Main religion: Basketball

LITHUANIAN POLICE l The Police System is comprised of: - Police Department at the MIO; - Territorial Police Units; - Specialised Police Units: Criminal Police Bureau, Forensic Investigation Center, Witnesses and Victims protection Service; Lithuanian Police Training Centre, Rapid response team, etc.

POLICE DEPARTMENT AT THE MIA l The Police Department at the MIA: – Ensures fulfilment of police tasks ascribed by the Law on Police activities; – Controls and coordinates activity of subordinate police units and issues recommendations and instructions; – Forms common activity strategy and personnel management policy for subordinate police units;

POLICE DEPARTMENT AT THE MIA – Ensures fulfilment of state programmes in police units;

TERRITORIAL POLICE UNITS l 10 Counties Police HQ; l 59 Local Police units.

LITHUANIA

TERRITORIAL POLICE UNITS l Counties police HQ (Higher level): – Established in counties’ centres; – Coordinate and control the activities of regional police units; – Responsible for the budget’s drafting and strategic plan of police activities on counties level.

TERRITORIAL POLICE UNITS l Local police units (Commissariats): - Established in administrative centers of the Municipalities; - responsible for the public order and public security; - together with local authorities, public organizations and residents draw up and implement crime prevention programs.

TERRITORIAL POLICE UNITS Structure of the Police Unit: Public (uniform) police division: - Patrol Police officers; - Traffic police officers; - Local (Community) police officers; - Police officers of Juvenile affairs; Criminal Police division.

AMBIVALENCE OF POLICE FUNCTIONS Major part of the Public police activities is decentralised and oriented to the community; Activity of the Criminal police is centralised.

POLICE SUPPORTERS Principal duties: - to assist police in order to maintain public order prevent criminal offence, etc. - to render first aid to the crime victims.

AMBIVALENCE OF POLICE FUNCTIONS Existing police structure and policy oriented towards the criminal prosecution function (characteristic of Poland, Czech Republic, France, Italy and Spain). Strong demand from the community to investigate criminal offences. Criterion of public opinion on the police based on the rates of solved crimes;

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