Development of professional skills of police officers in conditions of additional professional education

The research problem and its relevance. The relevance of the research is prompted by the current transformations in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, aimed at improving the efficiency of the mechanism of interaction between the law enforcement officers (police) with the population. The requirements for the level of their professional skills are increasing due to necessity to match their activity to the interests and needs of the citizens of our country. As a result, the importance of law enforcement officers’ supplementary professional education is increasing as well. The objective of this research is to study pedagogical possibilities of supplementary education in law enforcement officers’ professional skills developing. The article presents a review of the scientific literature on the issues under consideration, which has allowed us to conclude that the scientific development of the issues mentioned is insufficient. The methodological bases of the research are the provisions of the andragogical approach. Such approach makes it possible to take into account the regularities of teaching adults and find the most popular forms of their teaching considering the specific character of law enforcement officers’ professional activity. To achieve these goals, such methods as analysis and generalization of scientific sources on specialists’ professional skills developing, comparative analysis, as well as the method of questioning and treatment of the results have been used. The results of the research present the essence and the structure of the concept ‘professional skills’, its connection with the law enforcement officers’ professional development within continuing education, description of methodological approaches for law enforcement officers’ professional skills developing. As a result of the law enforcement officers’ survey after advanced training courses, the most effective forms and methods for improving their professional skills have been revealed. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the study of law enforcement officers’ professional skills developing from the point of view of new socio-economic tasks revealing the degree of social significance of supplementary professional education under these conditions. The theoretical significance lies in the systematization of the conceptual and terminological apparatus of the research and includes such concepts as “professional skills”, “professional development”, “professional competence”. The practical significance of the research is determined by the pedagogical tools presented, which can be used to improve educational programs for professional training (advanced training) of law enforcement officers. Theoretical provisions and presented conclusions are important for making more effective the management process of law enforcement officers’ professional development.