5. SECURITY STUDIES PREVENTION AS AN INTERNAL SECURITY FACTOR AT ZAWIERCIE POVIAT MICHAł łASKI Abstract DOI: 10.26410/SF_2/18/12 The aim of the article is to show how the preventive ac- tions of the Police forces affect the results of its work at the micro scale. The research was carried out in Zaw- iercie poviat. In the theoretical part, the article presents the.considerations.on.the.definition.of.internal.security.of. the country and the role of preventive actions in ensur- MICHAŁ ŁASKI1 ing public order. The article consists of an introduction, [email protected] three subchapters and a summary. 1 Student at full-time doctoral KEy words studies, WSB University, Community, order, police, prevention, security. Dąbrowa Górnicza Introduction Internal security, as part of national se- security.According to StanisławSulkowski, curity, is an extremely important factor, internal security can be defined on the influencing. the. needs. of. security. in. civil. basis of a dichotomous division resulting society.Police as a uniformed and armed from the external and internal structure of formation, provided with legal regulations, the state’s activity [Sulkowski, 2009, p. 14]. such as the Police Act of April 6, 1990 in It follows that the structures of the state are an effective and sufficient manner have the obliged to guarantee, with the use of legal possibilities to ensure the security for the tools and institutions set up for that purpose, citizens of the country.The aim of the study the.order.and.security.on.the.territory.of.the. is to examine how the preventive actions of country.In.this.sense,.internal.security.cov- the Police convert into its results at a mi- ers the entire sphere related to the stability cro. scale.The. study. used. statistical. data. and he ensuring public order.It should be analysis, the interviews with police officers noted here that internal and external secu- and author’s own observations.The study rity cannot be treated as a dichotomy, be- was conducted in the Zawiercie poviat as a cause these concepts do not stand in op- representative of a medium-sized poviatin position, but complement each other.This Poland. definition view is formulated in the National Security Strategy of the Republic of Poland Internal security – an of 2007, which specifies that national se- attempt of definition curity consists of the following types of se- The internal security of the state is a com- curity: external, military, internal, civic, so- ponent of the broader concept of national cial, economic, ecological and informative.. 136 5. SECURITY STUDIES Internal security is defined in this document ests and goals (ideas, vision) or falls within as a state activity, which aim is to maintain the limits of the risk accepted by the entity the ability to respond in the event of threats (reality). It is implemented (can be) by any to public safety and general security relat- means of all entities, using all resources in ed to the protection of law, life and health various forms, scale and scope, usually un- of citizens and national property against der the direction of civil (non-military) per- unlawful activities and consequences of sons (institutions) [Rutkowski, 2010, p. 107].. natural. disasters,. natural. disasters. and. Due to the complexity of the structure, gen- technical. failures. [National. Security. Strat- eral terminology and the volume of defini- egy of the Republic of Poland, 2007, p. 15]. tions,.it.is.difficult.to.use.it. The definition adopted in the document For the purpose of this study, a universal links internal security with the occurrence definition was adopted, defining internal of.a.threat.or.crisis.situation..Internal.secu- security as a state of undisturbed function- rity,.after.all,.alsoincludes.the.constitutional. ing.of.the.country,.related.to.the.security.of. order, public safety and general security.. its organs and stability of life of its citizens Its purpose is to protect the life and health as a result of personal security and the se- of citizens, to protect their property, but also curity of existence. to protect national assets, both against ille- gal activities, as well as natural disasters or Police role in the local se- the.effects.of.technical.failures. curity system Cezary Rutkowski defines internal se- The need for security according to Abra- curity.as a subjective state and process of ham Maslow is the second most important individual, organizational or collective con- human need after physiological needs1.. sciousness (community) in real or hypotheti- Therefore, it is the basic tasks of the state to cal adverse (hostile) action (impact) of inter- provide the basic social needs of citizens nal or external entities (forces, processes) with a sense of security. The local commu- or objects on objects of protection (defense, nity is an important social link that creates shaping) located (located) in whole or in part the foundations of social unity in a specific within the territory of the entity, conducted territory. Local security can be defined as . (overlapping) in whole or in part in this terri- a state within a poviat or commune, regu- tory, covering all issues of preparation, im- lated by a system of legal and non-legal plementation and development of security, norms, compliance with which enables solved by own or joint activity, carried out normal human coexistence in this area at exclusively or mainly based on its own deci- a specific place and time [Płowucha, 1995, sion, under its own political leadership, in p. 32]. which, thanks to faith (rational conviction) For the local community to feel safe it is about the effectiveness of implemented necessary to ensure public order. This term and planned own actions and other entities can be defined as the state of no threat to for creating and using opportunities for safe the state organization and the pursuit of its existence and development, as well as due interests, enabling its normal, free develop- to the possessed protective and defense ment [Misiuk, 2013, p. 13].The organs of capabilities, the existing or forecasted level of threats does not cause fear, fear, preser- Bronisław Malinowski places the need for security in the fourth place after metabolism, reproduction, vation of (achieved) recognized values, im- and appropriate physical conditions. The need for plementation of subjectively important inter- security corresponds to the cultural imperative of defense and protection PREVENTION AS AN INTERNAL SECURITY... 137 legislative, judiciary and executive power educational, economic, health, ecological are responsible for the protection of public policies, and those areas that have signifi- safety. Direct protection of public security cant impact on the existential security of is provided by the institutions specifically citizens. appointed for this purpose, i.e. the Police.. Police tasks are regulated by the Police Prevention of crime is both preventive and Act of April 6th, 1990. These are as follows: preventive. The term “prevention”, as indi- 1) the protection of property and of life cated by its Latin roots, means prevention, and health of people against unlawful anticipating actions (Latin praeventio – pre- acts violating these notions; vention), and prevention is combined with 2) the protection of public safety and or- prevention (Greek profhylaktikos – preven- der, including ensuring peace in pub- tive) [Polish Dictionary of the PWN]. As is lic places and in the means of public evident from the etymology, the two terms transport and in road traffic; overlap to some extent. According to Zbig- 3) initiating and organizing activities aimed niew Zarara, if we mean preventing the at preventing crimes and misdemean- creation of a prohibited act – we often say ors and criminogenic phenomena and “prophylaxis”, while if we think about prevent- cooperating with the interested state ing, or rather limiting further development of bodies, such as local governments and an already existing threat, we say “preven- social organizations,in this respect; tion” [Żaroń, 2003, p. 34]. 4) the detection of crimes and offenses The police should actively participate and prosecuting their perpetrators; in prevention activities to prevent dysfun- 5) the supervision of municipal guards ctions and threats to the local community. appointed by regional self-government For preventive actions to be effective, they bodies, as well as the supervision over require real commitment and cooperation other specialized, armed protective for- on both sides, i.e. the police, and the com- mations, in the scope specified in sepa- munity living in the given territory.In fact, rate regulations; the police must gain the trust of their poten- 6) the control of observance of order and tial partners in carrying out preventive ac- administrative provisions related to pub- tions. Cooperation with local government lic activity or in force in public places; is equally important – it is the cooperation, 7) the cooperation with the police of other not the police on its own, to protect the countries.and.their.international.organi- law and social order;such cooperation is zations on the basis of international shown by some local governments, when agreements and arrangements and they transfer some of the competences to separate regulations. the City or Municipal Guards they have set The legislator put in place preventive up. However, it should not be forgotten that measures implemented by the Police in with the establishment of new local govern- third place, which underlines the role of ment structures in 1999, the tasks carried measures to prevent threats in the daily out by the administration of a municipal- work of police officers. ity, poviat and voivodship, concern local government as well, by virtue of law, as the tasks to ensure public order and the securi- ty of citizens. Local governments, however, should.concentrate.their.actions.on.social,. 13 5. SECURITY STUDIES The impact of preventive of 10 communes: • municipalities: Zawiercie, Poręba, measures on the results of • urban-rural communes: Łazy, Ogro- the work of the Police in dzieniec, Pilica, Szczekociny, the Zawiercie poviat • ruralcommunes: Kroczyce, Żarnowiec, in 2016-2017 Włodowice, Irządze.