Police officer's decision to use coercive means

Introduction. The paper focuses on the police officer’s decision to use coercive means (physical force, fighting techniques, special means and firearms). The attempted analysis enabled the authors to suggest the solutions to the problem. The aim of the research is to study the factors affecting the police officer’s decision to use coercive means in different situations related to crime detection. Materials and methods. A theoretical analysis of scientific and methodical literature, survey, questioning, studying of police documentation and legal acts, expert assessment and mathematical statistical methods were used. The survey covered 78 operative crime detection officers with the experience of using physical force, fighting techniques, special means and firearms under Articles 20, 21 and 23 of the Federal Law «Оn Police», the term of service being 13,5 years on average. The questioning was anonymous. Results and Discussion. The paper reveals legal aspects and psychological mechanisms of police officer's decision to apply coercive means in crime detection. The factors determining decision-making are considered, the procedure of the police officer's actions connected with usage of coercive means being presented. Conclusions. The difficulty in the police officer's decision-making with regard to coercive means' usage is determined by the specifics of the profession, legal boundaries, and cannot be found in the existing theories of controlling motor activities of a person. Two dominant factors are revealed, these influencing the police officer's decision to use coercive means: current legislation and the offender's behaviour. The suggested procedure of the police officer's actions connected with the decision to employ coercive means is developed according to the practical orientation of crime detection and the following requirements: provision of security, prevention of aggravation of the situation and forecasting of the positive outcome.