CRIMINALISTIC AND CRIMINOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF POLICE CORRUPTION IN THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is the analysis of the criminological and criminalistic characteristics of police corruption in the Republic of North Macedonia, regarded as a distinct form of corrupt conduct perpetrated by employees within the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Through a theoretical examination, the research analyzes the conceptual definition of police corruption and researches the criminalistic characteristics of the crimes committed by employees within the organizational structures of the Ministry. The criminological characteristics are research through the scope, structure, and dynamics of criminal acts committed during the research period (2020–2024), alongside an exploration of the attitudes and perceptions of a part of police employees regarding the issue of corruption within their ranks. The indicators obtained from the study will be the basis for drawing conclusions and making recommendations for combatting this problem.

Design/Methods/Approach

The paper is systematized from several units: Definition of police corruption; Criminological characteristics of police corruption – scope, structure, and dynamics of crimes; Criminalistic characteristics of police corruption; Analysis of research conducted with employees within police structures; Conclusions and Recommendations. The research employs normative, statistical, and comparative methods, while the primary research instrument consists of a survey administered to employees within the police structures.

Findings

The results obtained from the conducted research are analyzed in order to gain insights into this issue, based on which recommendations have been formulated for the prevention and suppression of police corruption in the Republic of North Macedonia.

Originality/Value

This paper is original and constitutes a theoretical analysis of the research problem, presenting the results of independently conducted empirical research for the purposes of the study. It employs scientific methods and data collection instruments for data gathering, analysis, and comparison, and introduces a research instrument, a survey of police personnel aimed at obtaining insights into the attitudes and perceptions of employees within police structures regarding corruption within their ranks.