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17The Attitude of Members of Certain Vulnerable Social Groups Towards Police Treatment
Bojan Stankovic1 and Dalibor Kekic2 1Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Uniformed Police Directorate, Belgrade, Serbia 2University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies, Belgrade, Serbia
Article Information*
Research Article • UDC: 316.35.023.4:351.74 Volume: 20, Issue: 1, pages: 51-71 Received: December 10, 2022 • Revised: March 4, 2023 Accepted: March 7, 2023 https://doi.orq/10.51738/Kpolisa2023.20.1 r.51sk
Author Note
Bojan Stankovic https://orcid.org/0000-0003-Q328-7863 Dalibor Kekic https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0682-1139 We have no known conflict of interest to disclose. Corresponding author: Bojan Stankovic E-mail: bojan.stankovic@mup.gov.rs
*Cite (APA):
Stankovic, B., & Kekic, D. (2023). The attitude of members of certain vulnerable social groups towards police treatment. Kultura polisa, 20(1), 51-71. https://doi.org/10.51738/Kpolisa2023.20.1r.51sk
© 2023 by the authors. This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.Org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Abstract
The position of vulnerable social groups is very specific for several reasons, primarily due to the treatment by society. The aim of this paper is to examine, from the perspective of those who report security events, the relationship that the police establish towards national minorities, displaced persons, socially vulnerable persons, women and persons with disabilities, as the most numerous categories of socially vulnerable groups. For this reason, special attention is paid in the work to their attitude towards police officers in situations of handling their incident reports. Their relationship is even more complex if viewed through the prism of the influence of the police subculture on the behavior and treatment of police officers towards members of vulnerable social groups. In those situations, the police is expected to react non-discriminatory and act in accordance with prescribed legal norms, bearing in mind the specific position that members of vulnerable groups have in the social community. In order to assess the attitude of vulnerable groups towards the police and to improve their efficiency in dealing with the police, a survey was conducted with the application of the survey technique using a stratified sample.
Keywords: police procedures, national minorities, displaced persons, socially vulnerable persons, women, persons with disabilities
The Attitude of Members of Certain Vulnerable Social Groups Towards Police Treatment
Human and minority rights and freedoms are fundamental values on which, in addition to the rule of law and social justice, as well as the principles of civil democracy and belonging to European principles and values, rests the constitutional order of the Republic of Serbia.
Every human, by the mere fact that he belongs to the human species, has inalienable rights that must be respected by other members of the society in which the individual lives. Among the most important human rights are certainly the right to life, liberty and personal security. With the development of legal regulations related to the issue of human rights, a division into political, economic, social, cultural, etc., that are not equally represented within different societies. Nevertheless, supporters of human rights persist in their claims that human rights are universal and indivisible, because they arise from the position of each individual as a person, and there should be no differences in meaning or importance between individual groups of human rights, because they complement each other. Respect for political and civil rights provides the best opportunities for achieving economic development and satisfying others rights, social or economic.
According to traditional interpretations, human rights represent the demands that the individual puts in front of the state, while limiting its authority. Public authorities within one state have an obligation to respect and protect human rights (Gajin, 2012, p. 196). However, modern history shows that it is the states that violate human rights to the greatest extent, therefore it should be some kind of guaranteed freedom from state interference in human lives.
It is precisely because of the police's authority to use coercive means and other forms of encroachment on basic human rights, which result from legally prescribed measures and actions, that the public's focus is directed towards the police and its relationship to basic human rights.
The goal of the research is to look at the attitude of vulnerable groups towards the police, in order to adequately find mechanisms for improving police action, primarily to increase its effectiveness, but also the satisfaction of citizens with the attitude of the police towards them.For this purpose, research was carried out using the survey method on the territory of 3 settlements where a large number of members of certain vulnerable social groups live. In order to implement the research method, a survey technique was applied using a stratified
sample, the results of which are presented in the appendix at the end of the paper.
The Concept and Normative Protection of Vulnerable Social Groups
A general definition of vulnerable social groups is very difficult to derive. Members of these groups are categorized differently from country to country, primarily because certain characteristics do not have the character of "vulnerability" in all cultures and environments. Despite this, it can be pointed out that vulnerable social groups are special categories of persons, who, due to certain specificities, are in a more difficult position to exercise certain social-economic and other rights compared to the population that does not have special characteristics.
Vulnerability is defined with the aim of defining certain personsor social groups as "vulnerable", and taking into account some oftheir peculiarities, to act preventively and prevent possible stigmatization and social exclusion, primarily in the context of therealization of basic human rights (Stojkovic-Zlatanovic, 2015, p. 389).Determining the concept of vulnerability, i.e. status vulnerability, is important with the aim of identifying social groups that need additional support, which is, to a certain extent, complicated by the multiple nature of the concept of vulnerability and its primarily sociological characteristics (Stojkovic-Zlatanovic & Sovilj, 2015, p. 389).
The recognition of vulnerable social groups, and therefore the existence of adequate national and international legislativetreatment, is characteristic of the carefully nurtured values of a democratic society (Ciric & MatijaSevic-Obradovic, 2018, p. 191).
Everyone is vulnerable, although some people are more resilient than others (Dehaghani & Newman, 2017, p. 1202). For Fineman (2010, pp. 273274), justice is more likely to occur if the state is built around the recognition of the vulnerable subject. The state should act to fulfill a well-defined responsibility to implement a comprehensive and fair regime of equality that ensures access and opportunity for all (Dragojlovic & Grujic, 2018, p. 41). By emphasizing the importance of the constitution of the so-called Other generations of human rights (economic, social and cultural), the focus in the functioning of public authorities is to eliminate the appearance of forms of discrimination (Kosanovic et al., 2010, p. 2).
The phrase "vulnerable social group" hides a large and heterogeneous
category of citizens, made up of a number of subgroups. The fact is that belonging to a certain vulnerable group, regardless of the classification criteria, can put its members in a subordinate position. It often happens that an individual does not belong only to a certain vulnerable group, but possesses characteristics for belonging to another group, that is, several discriminated categories are combined. From the perspective of police action, the attitude of police officers towards certain categories of vulnerable social groups is particularly interesting, above all, towards national minorities, displaced persons, persons with disabilities, women and socially vulnerable persons.
According to the 2011 population census, the territory of the Republic of Serbia is inhabited by all categories of vulnerable social groups, with different shares in the total population. The number of calls to the police in a certain period of time was taken as the primary criterion for selecting vulnerable social groups, whose members will be investigated through their relationship with members of the police. Namely, by analyzing the records kept in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in the area covered territorially by the Zemun Police Station, in the time interval during 2018, it was established that members of one of the investigated categories of vulnerable social groups turned to the police the most times.At the same time, it should be emphasized that a large number of members of vulnerable social groups do not have only one feature that makes them vulnerable, but, in a large number of cases, there is a combination of several features of vulnerability, where the ones that have been investigated stand out.
According to the available data, about 1,175,000 inhabitants declared themselves to be members of one of 23 national minorities, of which the majority are Hungarians (253,899), Roma (147,604) and Bosniaks (145,278). Also, about 571,780 (8%) are persons with a certain degree of disability, 277,890 (3.9%) persons are registered as displaced persons. Data on trends in absolute poverty based on data from the "Household Consumption Survey" show that in the Republic of Serbia in 2020, basic needs cannot be met by approximately 446,000 inhabitants (6.9%).1
The most numerous vulnerable social group is women, given that they
1https://socijalnoukljucivanje.gov.rs/rs/socijalno-ukljucivanje-u-rs/statistika-siromastva/apsolutno-siromastvo/, downloaded on December 18. 2022. years.
represent the majority of the population, if gender is determined as a criterion (3,687,686).
The protection of human and minority rights is a social area that, despite the lack of consensus on many issues at the global level, has united the world order. As a result, in 1948 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations. This act emphasized the protection of human rights in every sense, while on the other hand it proclaimed certain prohibitions, precisely for the purpose of their protection. This primarily refers to the prohibition of discrimination, according to which "everyone is entitled to all therights and freedoms declared in this Declaration without any distinction in terms of race, color, sex, language, religion, politicalor other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or othercircumstances" (Ujedinjene nacije [UN], 1948, Art.2).
The Constitution of the Republic of Serbia, as the highest legal act, guarantees human and minority rights, which can be limited, only if that limitation is foreseen by it. The terms "discrimination" and "discriminatory treatment" are defined for the first time in Serbia in the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination, and they denote any unjustified discrimination or unequal treatment, in relation to persons or groups, which is based on race, skin color, ancestors, citizenship, nationality or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, etc. (Narodna skupstina Republike Srbije [Narodna skupstina], 2009, Art. 2).
How important the fight against discrimination is for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is enough demonstrated by the fact that one of the first articles in the Law on Police obliges employees "to treateveryone equally, regardless of their racial, gender or national affiliation, their differences arising from social origin, birth, religion, political or other belief or commitment, gender and gender identity, property status, culture, language, age andmental or physical disability" (Narodna skupstina, 2016, Art. 5), while similar wording can be found in Code of Police Ethics from 2017. The same law prescribes non-discrimination in the performance of police tasks (2016, Art. 33), as well as humane treatment in the application of police powers, with respect for the dignity, reputation and honor of each person, as well as other human and minority rights and freedoms (2016, Art. 67).
2The declaration was the first step in the process of formulating the International Law on Human Rights, which was completed in 1966 and entered into force in 1976, after a sufficient number of countries ratified the document.
Perception of the Police Service from the Perspective of Members of Vulnerable Social Groups
The development of democratic institutions in the world, with an emphasis on respect for human rights and freedoms, as well as the expectations that citizens have of the police, have led to a new strategy of police action, which is primarily based on the reliance of the police on citizens and the community and harmonizing its role with specific local opportunities and needs of individual areas (Spasic, 2017, pp. 56-57).
Since 2001, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, preparing for the introduction of the community police model, has undertaken a number of measures to reform preventive police work, strengthen legality in work and protect the human and minority rights of citizens, build better communication with the public and cooperation with citizens and the community, thus creating the necessary preconditions for better prevention and the development of partnership relations with citizens.
The police exercise significant powers towards citizens, with constant efforts to ensure that they are regulated as precisely as possible in order to protect human rights, which should be their primary purpose. Looking from that perspective, it can be concluded that increasing the performance of the police is not the primary goal of the reform of the police system. On the contrary, the normative protection of human rights even appears as a hindrance and limitation of the effectiveness of police action (Dujmovic & Superina, 2010, p. 2) and it seems that in recent years, it has become an increasingly important aspect of police work. It is no longer just law enforcement, on the contrary, it is part of social work in the community (Musuguri, 2018, p.107).
The main objectives of police strategies mainly include increasing the trust of members of vulnerable groups in the police and reducing the influence of cultural, social and demographic barriers to establishing effective ways of communication and noticing previously unrecognized needs of members of minorities (Kesetovic & Blagojevic, 2012, p. 23). Adequate communication, appropriate to the situation, is the most desirable way to solve the problem, and often an alternative to a series of repressive measures taken by the police in order to achieve a legitimate goal (Stevanovic, 2019, p. 290).
During the establishment of such contacts, police officers are obliged to act in accordance with certain professional principles, which, among other things, are based on ethical principles and imply respect for certain moral
standards in work and relations with the subjects towards which the activity is directed. First of all, we mean legality, but also general culture, honesty and honor, of which promoting ethics during schooling and increasing ethical awareness during service certainly have the greatest effect and importance for ethics in police institutions (Pena & Miladinovic, 2010, p. 88). The behavior of members of the police organization is not only monitored in their daily relationship with citizens, but in their relationship with society as a whole, but also with colleagues they cooperate with, whether in the police organization or outside it (Delibasic, 2016, p. 155).
Certain professions, of which the police profession is particularly pronounced in that aspect, in parallel with the development of professional norms and standards in behavior, also create a subculture in parallel, which arises as a product of long-term work in police work and the realization of a certain relationship with different categories of the population. The phrase „police subculture" is usually used when trying to see the position of the police culture in relation to the general culture, that is, when one wants to emphasize that this cultural pattern actually exists within the general culture and that, therefore, it also has certain components of the general cultural system (Kesic & Zekavica, 2019, p.9) The involvement of the police in any type of activity should be viewed in the light of the exposed characteristics of the police subculture, since they certainly affect the relationships in the work environment and the measure of success in the activities undertaken (Lajic, 2012, p. 77). Precisely, the subculture and the attitudes that pervade it, direct the behavior of police officers in situations where members of vulnerable social groups appear as actors of security events.
Methods
In order to realize the research, the test method was applied. The survey collected data related to the experience of citizens/respondents during contacts with police officers. In order to implement the research method, the technique of surveying citizens was applied, anonymously, in their everyday environment, that is, in their households, using a survey sheet, filled in by a civilian examiner, who asked the respondents questions orally.
During the research, a narrow scope was used, i.e. a sample - deliberate and stratified. Intentional sampling refers to:
1) the selection of residential areas where the research was carried out.
Namely, for the sake of data availability, the research was conducted on the territory of the settlements within the City Municipality of Zemun (Altina, Vojni put and Batajnica)
2) selection of sources for the application of the content analysis method, where the criterion of intentionality was the availability of sources.
A stratified sample was used during the application of the research method where the strata were belonging to vulnerable social groups and exclusively to the most numerous categories, namely national minorities, displaced persons, socially vulnerable persons, women and persons with disabilities. Within those strata, 150 randomly selected citizens who meet the conditions of one of the two strata were surveyed, whereby citizens, who on the basis of personal characteristics can be classified into several categories of vulnerable social groups, were taken as the dominant characteristic (primarily women and persons with disabilities). In accordance with the mentioned criteria, 38 members of national minorities, 30 displaced persons, 46 socially vulnerable persons, 20 women and 16 persons with disabilities, participated in the research.
Research
The research was carried out in the territory of the City Municipality of Zemun, as the territory of the City of Belgrade that underwent the greatest demographic changes during the nineties of the last century. In that period, residential settlements were formed on the outskirts, which were mostly inhabited by the population that fled the war-affected areas of the former Yugoslavia. In question are the settlements of Altina, Vojni put and Batajnica, where several thousand inhabitants from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and AP Kosovo and Metohija settled in the period from 1990 to 2000. It is mostly about Serbs, but Roma, Bosniaks, and Albanians also live in large numbers. It should be borne in mind that, before the First World War, Zemun was within the borders of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, and during the Second World War, as a part of Srem, it belonged to the Independent State of Croatia, which is why its population has always been very heterogeneous.
Results
Respondents were asked a total of 10 questions/statements to which they answered by circling one or more of the offered answers. All 150 respondents
answered all the questions, with the exception of question No. 5, which is related to the answer to the previous question, so that it was addressed to 104 respondents, who expressed a certain degree of dissatisfaction with the behavior of the police.
Answers to all questions are processed in textual and tabular form and can be found in the appendix at the end of the paper, while the test results will be explained in the next sub-chapter.
Discussion
The activities of state authorities in the protection of human rights, primarily of vulnerable social groups, largely indicate the readiness of the state to protect the basic democratic values on which every society rests. The conducted research, despite the small sample, leads us to certain conclusions, which can largely guide the development of the police service, primarily in the segment of improving police relations with citizens. First of all, it should be pointed out that six out of ten citizens in Serbia have confidence in the police, which is the world average of 60 to 90 percent.3 This is, among other reasons, why citizens often turn to the police, even regarding events that are not within their jurisdiction.
When it comes to vulnerable social groups, their attitude towards the police does not differ greatly from the attitude of the rest of the population. It mainly depends on the treatment they receive from the police officers, who act on their reports. The expectations of the injured parties are that the police will respond quickly to their call and that they will be protected by their actions.
According to the results of the research, the fact that affects the respondents the most is the insufficient interest of the police officers in the event they are acting on. Citizens are generally very interested in the protection of their rights, no matter how minor it may seem from the perspective of a third party, in this case, a police officer. Thus, a citizen who has been damaged by some trivial criminal act will expect the commitment of the acting police officers, at least, as if he had suffered serious property damage. The situation is similar with crimes directed at the body or person of the applicant. They will react equally violently and seek police protection, regardless of whether they are only verbaly or phisically
3The results of the 2018 survey aimed at examining citizens' attitudes about security, police and corruption, conducted by the POINTPLUS network and processed by the Belgrade Center for Security Policy.
attacked.
Although these characteristics can be attributed to any individual, they are particularly dominant among representatives of certain vulnerable social groups. Under the influence of frequent cases of discrimination, in various spheres of social activity, national minorities are very inclined to present themselves as victims of the system and its representatives, primarily the police. That is why they are the least satisfied with the behavior of the police, that is, they very often appear in the role of complainants about police work. The case is similar with socially vulnerable persons and persons with disabilities, who often abuse their social status, in order to cause pity for the environment, and in the specific case of acting police officers. If they do not encounter the expected reaction, they can react inappropriately and resent what they believe is inadequate handling and treatment.
Despite everything that has been said, the contribution of police officers to such an attitude of vulnerable social groups should not be neglected, which was discussed more in the subchapter that dealt with the perception of the police service from the perspective of this category of the population. There are numerous studies that indicate the great influence of the police subculture on the quality of the performance of police work and the consequences that follow the actions of police officers. One of the consequences is certainly the attitude that citizens have towards "guards of order" and their behavior in situations when they turn to them for help.
This research, in the part that deals with the way in which the respondents perceive the attitude of the police towards them, primarily in the assessment of commitment and professionalism in handling, has shown that members of vulnerable social groups have a lot of objections to police behavior, which causes them a certain degree of dissatisfaction and causes lack of trust in the police and its representatives.
Conclusion
The position of the police organization in modern social relations is extremely complex, primarily due to the subjects towards whom police officers apply legal powers, and above all to members of vulnerable social groups, as holders of certain characteristics, which makes their position even more complex.
When it comes to this relationship, the obvious problem is how, on the one hand, to overcome the obvious prejudices that police officers, under the
influence of subculture and other factors, have towards members of vulnerable social groups, and on the other hand, how to bring their representatives closer police officer, as a protector and guarantor of their safety.
One of the main prerequisites is the strengthening of professional capacities and training of police officers, which must be based on well-designed and sustainable training that will be able to respond to all the challenges that the treatment of these categories of the population entails.
Therefore, it is necessary to continue with the started measures of problem-oriented teaching within the education of police personnel, with the aim of overcoming all forms of discrimination, and above all to neutralize the influence of the police subculture, as one of the key factors for the police's actions, regardless of the field of action.
Police methods and practice are aimed at developing communication, building trust and establishing partnerships with vulnerable social groups. The police create conditions for achieving adequate communication with the mentioned social groups in order to participate in activities related to community safety.
The goal of such a way of dealing with problems is for police action to be impartial and humane, aimed at encouraging minority and socially vulnerable groups to cooperate in identifying and solving security problems (security advisory bodies, meetings, citizens' advisory groups, visits to the police) and assuming responsibility for security in communities.
The police strives that the composition of the police organization reflects the structure of the community and creates conditions that encourage members of vulnerable social groups to apply for police work and be equally accepted and treated within the police organization with equal opportunities to achieve career advancement.
On the other hand, we should not ignore the need to educate members of vulnerable social groups about the police and encourage dialogue with the aim of their mutual understanding.
In addition to activities of an educational nature, a particularly important role must be entrusted to police managers, who are expected to influence the improvement of all forms of communication of police officers, especially towards members of vulnerable social groups, by their daily actions and implementation of control-instructive activities.
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Appendix
Table 1
Need for police intervention
The answer In total % National minorities Displaced faces Social vulnerable persons Wo men Persons with disabiliti es
a 89 59,33 19 12 39 12 7
b 49 32,67 16 16 5 7 5
c 5 3,33 1 1 1 0 2
d 7 4,67 2 1 1 1 2
Note. Q: In the previous period, I needed the intervention of the police.
The following answers were offered:
a) 1-3 times;
b) 3-6 times;
c) more than 6 times;
d) I did not contact the police.
Table 2
Attacked value
The answer In total % Nation al minorit ies Displaced faces Social vulnerable persons Wo men Persons with disabiliti es
a 37 24,67 7 16 5 7 2
b 59 39,33 19 12 11 10 7
c 45 30 10 1 28 2 4
d 9 6 2 1 2 1 3
Note. Q: Attacked value.
The following answers were offered:
a) life or body;
b) property;
c) public order and peace;
d) other good.
Table 3
Interval of police intervention
The answer In total % Nation al minorit ies Displaced faces Social vulnerable persons Wo men Persons with disabiliti es
a 17 11,33 4 6 3 2 2
b 48 32 13 8 15 5 7
c 57 38 13 12 19 9 4
d 25 16,6 7 3 8 4 3
e 3 2 1 1 1 0 0
Note. Q: In what interval did the police come out when called?
The following answers were offered:
a) up to 1 hour;
b) from 1-3 hours;
c) during the day;
d) some other day;
d) she did not react at all.
Table 4
Satisfaction with the proceeding of the police
The answer In total % National minoritie s Displaced faces Social vulnerable persons Wo men Persons with disabilitie s
a 7 4,67 2 3 1 1 0
b 39 26 13 7 15 2 2
c 85 56,67 19 12 35 12 7
d 19 12,67 4 7 5 1 2
Note. Q: Due to the proceeding of the police, I was...
The following answers were offered:
a) very satisfied;
b) satisfied;
c) dissatisfied;
d) very dissatisfied.
Table 5
Reasons for dissatisfaction with the proceeding of the police
The answer In total % Nation al minorit ies Displaced faces Social vulnerable persons Wo men Persons with disabilities
a 37 35,58 8 6 16 3 4
b 44 42,31 10 9 16 7 2
c 15 14,42 3 2 5 2 3
d 8 7,69 2 2 3 1 0
Note. Q: Reason for dissatisfaction with the work of the police (if the previous answer is c or d).
The following answers were offered:
a) they came very late;
b) they were not interested in my application;
c) they acted as if I was registered;
d) they tried to relativize the seriousness of the reported event.
Table 6
The reason for the negative proceeding of the police
The answer In total % Nation al minorit ies Displaced faces Social vulnerable persons Wo men Persons with disabilities
a 50 33,33 12 11 15 7 5
b 27 18 4 5 11 3 4
c 38 25,53 14 7 8 4 5
d 25 16,67 6 4 10 4 1
e 10 6,67 2 3 2 2 1
Note. Q: I believe that the reason for the negative behavior of the police is... (it is possible to choose more than one answer).
The following answers were offered:
a) because I belong to a certain vulnerable population group;
b) the neighborhood where I live;
c) because I often turn to the police for various reasons;
d) because they are favorable to the registered persons;
e) I don't know the reason.
Table 7
Opinion on the quality of the performance of police work
The answer In total % Nation al minorit ies Displaced faces Social vulnerable persons Wo men Persons with disabilities
a 30 20 10 10 5 3 2
b 58 38,67 14 7 18 11 8
c 48 32 12 10 17 5 4
d 14 9,33 2 3 6 1 2
Note. Q: When it comes to the work done by the police in my area, I think that it does. The following answers were offered:
a) very good; b) satisfactory; c) insufficient quality; d) very bad.
Tables 8 & 9
Reasons for quality work performance
The answer In total % Nation al minorit ies Displaced faces Social vulnerable persons Wo men Persons with disabilities
a 35 39,77 12 6 7 5 2
d 41 46,59 9 9 12 8 3
a/d 12 13,64 3 2 4 1 2
The answer In total % National minoritie s Displaced faces Social vulnerable persons Wo men Persons with disabilities
b 15 24,19 3 4 5 2 1
c 30 48,39 9 6 9 3 3
e 17 27,42 2 3 9 1 2
Note. Q: What are the reasons for such actions by the police (depending on the previous answer) (it is possible to choose more than one answer)?
The following answers were offered:
a) good motivation;
b) lack of interest of police officers in a specific event;
c) negative attitude towards members of vulnerable groups; g) professionalism and responsibility;
d) corruption.
Table 10
Security events to which the police respond the fastest
The answer In total % Nation al minorit ies Displaced faces Social vulnerable persons Wo men Persons with disabiliti es
a 48 32 12 11 15 9 6
b 45 30 11 7 18 5 4
c 44 29,33 12 10 11 6 5
d 5 3,33 2 1 1 0 1
e 3 2 1 1 1 0 0
Note. Q: What type of security incident will the police respond to the fastest?
The following answers were offered:
a) domestic violence;
b) theft;
c) fighting;
d) an event whose action is in progress;
e) I don't know.
Table 11
Public trust in the police
The answer In total % Nation al minorit ies Displaced faces Social vulnerable persons Wo men Persons with disabilities
a 65 43,33 19 15 21 12 11
b 35 23,33 4 3 7 4 4
c 50 33,33 15 12 18 4 1
Note. Q: I am of the opinion that the public...
The following answers were offered:
a) has great trust in the police;
b) does not have a special relationship;
c) has a negative attitude towards the police.
Odnos pripadnika odredenih ranjivih drustvenih grupa prema
policijskom postupanju
Bojan Stankovic1 i Dalibor Kekic2 1Ministarstvo unutrasnjih poslova Republike Srbije Uprava policije, Beograd, Srbija 2KriminalistiCko-policijski univerzitet, Beograd, Srbija
Sazetak
Polozaj ranjivih drustvenih grupa je veoma specifican po vise osnova, pre svega zbog tretmana od strane drustva. Cilj ovog rada jeste da se, iz perspektive prijavilaca bezbednosnih dogadaja, sagleda odnos koji policija uspostavlja prema nacionalnim manjinama, raseljenim licima, socijalno ugrozenim licima, zenama i licima sa invaliditetom, kao najbrojnijim kategorijama drustveno ranjivih grupa. Zbog toga se posebna paznja u radu posvecuje njihovom stavu prema policajcima u situacijama postupanja po njihovim prijavama dogadaja. Njihov odnos je jos slozeniji ukoliko se posmatra kroz prizmu uticaja policijske supkulture na ponasanje i postupanje policijskih sluzbenika prema pripadnicima ranjivih drustvenih grupa. U tim situacijama, od policije se ocekuje da reaguje nediskriminatorno i postupa u skladu sa propisanim pravnim normama, imajuci u vidu specifican polozaj koji pripadnici ranjivih grupa imaju u drustvenoj zajednici.
Kljucne reci: postupanje policije, nacionalne manjine, raseljena lica, socijalno ugrozena lica, zene, lica sa invaliditetom
