Functional characteristics of police in a modern democratic state

The article discusses the role of police in modern democracies, focusing on their core functions and how to categorize them. It highlights the need to balance public safety with individual rights as law enforcement adapts to societal changes. The author reviews various scholarly perspectives on police functions, tracing how these views have evolved since the Soviet era towards a more democratic approach. The paper examines the legally defined duties of Ukraine’s National Police and how these shape the police’s functional priorities. Emphasizing crime prevention as a key police function in democracies, the author proposes a new classification system for police functions. This system includes five main areas: prevention, protection, crime response, service provision, and information sharing. The article explores «function» as a legal concept, particularly in relation to policing. It notes that police functions stem from and serve to accomplish their assigned tasks. In conclusion, the author offers a new definition of police functions in modern democracies, stressing their transparent, apolitical nature and focus on crime prevention and rights protection.