Violence at sporting events in the Republic of Serbia and police engagement

Abstract

In order for police officers to be able to perform their duties and tasks in securing public gatherings and possibly restoring the disturbed public order, especially in the cases of large-scale outbursts of violence, they should be trained, equipped and organized in such a way as to maximize the effects of their engagement (e.g. in the period between July 2003 and September 2009, 4750 (86.06% of total number of measures taken at or related to sporting events) persons were apprehended by the police, 352 (6.63%) were detained, 208 (3.92%) were remanded in custody, etc.) as well as to minimize the effects of criminal acts in these conditions (e.g. within the same period, 1.533 (64%) criminal offences were related to the provisions of Section 20 of the Law on the Prevention of Violence and Misbehavior at Sports Events, and 2.990 (almost 45%) were related to other provisions of the same statute). The paper focuses on the organizational and technical arrangements as prerequisites for minimizing occupational hazards that threaten the lives and health of police officers as well as those of other persons, or that cause material damage. It is of particular importance that the paper specifically focuses on the security of law enforcers engaged at sporting events, i.e. while exercising their official duties against perpetrators of criminal acts and other offenders.