Crime and Policing in Post-Soviet Societies: Bridging the Police/Public Divide

Abstract

This paper explores the current relationship between the police and the public in one of the post-Soviet states, Ukraine, and looks at the prospects for future co-operation between these two groups. It makes use of data collected from extensive surveys of the both the police and the public carried out in the city of Kharkiv. The study found high levels of mistrust of the police by the public, including considerable concerns about corruption, abuse of power and a lack of respect for the public. The research concludes by looking at the prospects for improving the relationship between the police and the public in post Soviet states.

Keywords:

• Eastern European Policing
• Police-public Relations
• Reform In Transitional Societies