Profile of Police Officers Convited of Bribery

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to identify the basic elements of the profiles of police officers based on court decisions rendered in criminal cases involving bribery, and to determine which police units are characterised by a greater risk of corruption, and which problems should be considered when selecting measures to protect police integrity. The research analysed 23 court proceedings within which 40 employees of the Ministry of the Interior were found guilty of committing bribery in the period from 1 January 2010 to 1 January 2015. Results indicate that the majority of those convicted of taking bribes are male with secondary education qualifications working as police officers, who are not in management positions, in the Border Police or Traffic Police Directorates, and their median age is 33.92. On average, the largest bribes were taken by police officers from the criminal police. Results also reveal the fundamental elements of the profile of a corrupt police officer and point to problems related to enhancing police integrity, which should be considered when drafting a strategy for the combatting police corruption. This research can serve as a basis for future studies, the results of which may be used for conducting a comparative analysis, as well as for outlining criminal and legal responses of states concerning police corruption.