Criminological Characteristics of Victims of Threats or Violence against a Law Enforcement Officer

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to summarize the criminological features of victims of threats or violence against a law enforcement officer on the basis of the available empirical basis, as well as research by scientists. The article uses a set of scientific methods, namely: terminological, system-structural, formal-logical, comparative-legal. The theoretical basis of the study are the works of Ukrainian and foreign scientists, the provisions of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, as well as the practice of its application. The scientific novelty of the article is that it: 1) describes the victims of crimes under Art. 345 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, on the grounds of sex, age, citizenship, marital status, information about the relationship with the criminal offender, the service, position, responsibilities; 2) the categories of law enforcement officers who become victims of threats or violence are determined; 3) positive and negative signs and traits of these persons are revealed; 4) the classification of the victims of militiamen on a kind of their behavior which preceded criminally disgusting encroachment on them in the form of threats or violence is developed. Conclusions. According to the results of the study, the following conclusions were drawn: 1) among law enforcement officers who have become victims of threats or violence, males, young people (25 to 45 years) with little work experience predominate; 2) crimes under Art. 345 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, most often committed against police officers, much less often - against employees of other law enforcement agencies (border service, bodies and institutions of execution of punishments, state forest protection bodies, etc.); 3) the largest number of victims is typical for the patrol police service (less often the victims are investigators, operatives, district police officers, inspectors of the juvenile prevention sector, employees of other services); 3) negative signs and features of victims of crimes under Art. 345 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which prevail in practice can be divided into the following groups: a) negative character traits; b) lack of the required level of knowledge, skills and abilities; c) disbelief in the effective protection of law enforcement officers; d) condition (alcohol intoxication or fatigue); e) regional mentality, worldview, formed in a certain area; f) low level of income, low standard of living and material security; 4) not always certain features of character of the militiaman, his social status, demographic signs, other features are in direct or indirect causal connection with commission of the crime provided by Art. 345 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine; 5) victims of law enforcement can be divided into: a) persons whose actions are socially useful (lawful, positive); b) reckless (reckless); c) persons who acted illegally; d) persons with antisocial (immoral) behavior.

Keywords: threat; violence; law enforcement officer; victim; victim of crime; victimhood; victimology.