The legal and criminalistic aspects of police actions at the accident scene in Republika Srpska

The investigation, as an evidentiary action, is one of the most frequently conducted procedural activities performed by police officers in their daily work. From the perspective of police procedure, the investigation holds both legal and criminalistic significance. Current normative acts prescribe specific provisions related to the investigation process, many of which are generally applicable to all types of incidents. However, the particular nature of the investigation as an evidentiary action becomes especially apparent in the context of traffic accident investigations and police actions at the accident scene, including subsequent procedures. This paper aims to present the legal and criminalistic aspects of police procedure in traffic accident cases in Republika Srpska. It begins by defining traffic accidents as a threat to traffic safety and emphasizes the legal-procedural and criminalistics relevance of investigations, with special attention to the distinctive characteristics of traffic accident investigations compared to other incident types. The paper also provides an overview of police actions during traffic accident scene investigations, specifically within the practice of police in Republika Srpska. Finally, it discusses the criminalistics and procedural importance of the documentation elements produced during these investigations.