Apoliticality of the police: The crisis of confidence and possible changes in the legal and administrative structure

Abstract

The article outlines possible directions of changes aimed at increasing the apolitical character of police structures in Poland. The main objective of this paper is to outline the field of possible debate and to examine the conditions under which apoliticality could occur. The issue of the transition to an apolitical model of police functioning begins with a presentation of the current legal and administrative structure together with the views of doctrine and the interpretation of the concept of apoliticality by the Constitutional Tribunal. The article also discusses the recent proposals for statutory changes suggested by the Independent Self-Governing Trade Union of Police Officers, which aimed to introduce fixed terms for the office of the Chief Constable of Police. In the final section of the article are considered proposals for systemic changes based on the concept of L. Sossin and the idea of democratic police management. The most important conclusion drawn from this paper is the indication of transparency in the relations between the executive and the police as the main factor enabling its apoliticalization. At the same time, it is pointed out that what is at stake in developing such transparency is not only the trust of citizens in the police, but also, and above all, in the state as a whole.