POLICE OFFICER’S BEHAVIOR AS A GROUND FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION: ETHICAL ASPECT

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the concept and composition of disciplinary misconduct of police officers. The author defines what constitutes a disciplinary offense and the object of a disciplinary offense of police officers, who are the subjects of legal relations resulting from a disciplinary offense, and the types of disciplinary offenses themselves. The author establishes that the object of disciplinary misconduct is the established procedure and the legal regime of service activities, the duties of police officers as officials provided for by each position both by the job description and by applicable law. The author outlines various aspects of police service which are affected by disciplinary misconduct, and in this regard, their direct objects are highlighted. For many years, service discipline has remained the key to effective service activity. This concept includes not only a conscious attitude to the performance of duties assigned to a police officer, but also ensuring high quality and efficiency of service activities, as well as rational distribution of service time. One of the determining factors of effective service activity of the Ukrainian police is the degree of compliance with official discipline by police officers. Given the fact that deviant behavior in law enforcement agencies cannot be completely eradicated, another factor that significantly affects the effectiveness of law enforcement practice is the degree of detection of violations of official discipline and the inevitability of bringing perpetrators to disciplinary responsibility. Not so long ago, Ukraine underwent an administrative reform aimed at building and developing a progressive system of public administration and improving the performance of the state apparatus. In the course of the reform, a key role was assigned to optimizing the functioning of executive authorities in the process of combating corruption. Particular attention was paid to the legal regulation of law enforcement agencies and their successful fulfillment of their tasks (which is directly ensured by strict observance of official discipline).