by Aleš Pachmann

Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic

Community Law Department

It is very difficult to collect evidence of police corruption.  This article tries to describe some surveys on this topic.

The basis for this work is  represented by surveys on the corruption of the Police of the Czech Republic, surveys on employee satisfaction, and a profile of policemen in one of the Czech regions.

Four independent surveys are administered. Two are focused on a survey on the corruption of the Police of the Czech Republic. One is focused on a survey on employee satisfaction. And the last is focused on a survey on the profile of policemen in the north bohemian region (only a part of this is focused on the corruption).   

1. Project „Professional integrity“ elaborated by the Transparency International – Czech republic and by the Department of Education, Administration of the Police Schools of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic.

2. The survey undertook by Mjr. PhDr. Mgr. Martin Bílek  (as a part of his postgradual studies on The Faculty of Social Studies on the Charles University in Prague)

3. The survey undertook by the Police Presidium of the Czech Republic on employee (members of the Police of the Czech Republic)  satisfaction

4. The survey undertook by PhDr. Petr Sak, CSc. and Doc. dr. Jiří Semrád, CSc. "Policeman from the North Bohemian region" 1997

A questionnaire inquiry was used to collect data. Statistical analisis of the data and an interpretation of the data was performed. The target group of respondents was represented by policemen. It was very important  to secure respondents‘ anonymity (policemen are highly suspicious persons). Data collection was done by questionnaire inquiry in two ways

1. During work meetings where respondents place completed questionnaires in a box.

2. Respondents filled in questionnaires individually (alone) and personally gave it to the surveyor or sent it directly to a specified address.

I was informed about this project by RNDr. Petr Kolář from the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, the department of the Education, Administration of the Police Schools. This project was elaborated by Transparency International – Czech republic and the Department of the Education, Administration of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic.

This program runs in police academies, where four model situations are included in the study lectures of the basic police education. It is an effort to positively influence respondents and partly eliminate the tendencies of students toward corruptive behaviour.

There are four case studies:  

1. Giving information from the police database to a third person

2. Foreign police

3. Fines without a confirmation

4. Investigation of a car accident for the benefit of the offender.

A survey tried to measure the effectiveness of this project.

They were given questions for example in this way (for one case study):

1. A policeman gave information from the police database about a third person to his friend.

a) What is your perception of the social dangers of such behavior?

(1) Not dangerous at all

(2) Not dangerous

(3) Dangerous

(4) Very dangerous

b) How do you think your colleagues would feel about this?

(1) Not dangerous at all

(2) Not dangerous

(3) Dangerous

(4) Very dangerous 

c) Would you report such behavior to your manager?

1) Absolutely no

2) Probably no

3) Probably yes

4) Absolutely yes

d) Do you think that such behavior would be reported by your colleagues?

1) Absolutely no

2) Probably no

3)Probably yes

4) Absolutely yes

Similar questions were used in all 4 case studies.

Questionnaires were sent to four police academies ( Prague, Brno, Jihlava, Pardubice). 547 questionnaires were completed during the year 2003 by respondents at the beginning of their studies. 544 questionnaires were completed after six months. A sufficient difference was not detected.  It seems that respondents were too old to change their minds in such a short term.

This survey hasn´t been published yet which is why full information couldn't be given. 

Questionnaires were individually completed by respondents and sent to the surveyor or given to their manager in an envelope.

Questions similar to a predecent survey were given to the respondents but there were eleven case studies instead of four, which means more questions. All respondents were on active duty in the Police of the Czech Republic. There are currently 38000 policemen on active duty. There were distributed 2000 questionnaires throughout the Czech republic (quotation election) and more than 90% were returned.

Questionnaires were distributed by a service courier in  big boxes and divided  into the offices where respondents were on duty.

It was not possible to personally deliver the questionnaires by a surveyor, but by the management of each office, due to the financial and time limits of Mr. Bílek. This presents certain risks to the objectivity of  the survey.

Another risk presents the possibility of fear among respondents about their anonymity. Policemen could be scared of putting questionnaires in hands of their managers or sending them by post or police courier (because it is usually possible to find an instance where a respondents‘ identity is detected after completing a questionnaire).

In Mr. Bílek’s opinion anonymity was secured as much as possible in regard to the survey conditions (There were no sponsors and Mr. Bílek is a very busy man). Some apprehension was detected in 4% of the questionnaires where they were given added papers etc.

The surveyor tried to inquire, with professional integrity, about corruption complicity (willingness of policemen to actively deal with corruption among their colleagues).

Mr. Bílek thinks that policemen are not afraid of sharing their opinions if their anonymity is secured. It has emerged (from consultations) that the first interpretations of a comparison among a database from this survey and from a survey connected with a project „professional integrity,“ shows that  „corruption tolerance“ is statistically better among policemen on duty than among policemen in the police academies. These findings are in correspondence with a survey „Policemen from the north bohemian region where there were also inquired causes of offences among policemen.

Mr. Bílek thinks that the motivation of respondents was very high because it was the first big survey among policemen performed in the Czech republic;  respondents were not bored by such surveys. 

This survey was elaborated by The Police Presidium of The Czech Republic due to the adoption of the model EFQM. The survey was completed between February and March 2004, was anonymous and the number of respondents was 6000.

A representative sample group (policemen and civic workers) was designed to cover all the directories in the districts, regional administrations, services with statewide competence, and the Police Presidium of the Czech Republic.

This survey among the employees of the Police of the Czech Republic had to find out: the working satisfaction and the possibility of the personal development of employees, relations and a communications with managers, colleagues and other customers, self-evaluation of managerial abilities, evaluations of working conditions, and the quality of management of the organisation.

Each respondent received an anonymous questionnaire with a letter written by the police president. There was an emphasis on the importance of this survey, which depended on the honest completion of questionnaires. The results will expose the strebghts and areas of improvement and will be utilized for a higher quality of police work. A stamped self-addressed envelope was provided to help secure anonymity.

On the envelope was a number for a computer office that received the questionnaires. Questionnaires were distributed to the level of directories of districts by a quotation, which ensured a representative sample group. There were 48 pronouncements and 4 questions with the possibility to choose from a scale:

1. don´t agree at all 

2. rather don´t agree 

3. rather agree 

4. absolutely agree.

The following is an example question: "I think my manager evaluates my work based on my efforts. Etc.

Of the 6000 distributed questionnaires, 3721 were returned (62% return rate). 56 of these questionnaires were not useful, and therefore were not counted.

There were eleven reports in all.  Each regional administration has received its own report.

The foreign and border police service, the Police Presidium of the Czech Republic, has received one report. 

It should be noted that both feedback from and conclusions of the surveys were provided to the respondents. 

Survey "The Policeman of the North Bohemian Region"

A questionnaire inquiry was used to collect data during work meetings. Completed questionnaires were placed in a box. It was also possible to send these questionnaires to a survey centre. Questions focused on corruption were given in a very conscious way. There were questions of this type:  „What do you think causes corruption among policemen?“; How often do you think policemen are in a situation where a bribe is offered to them?“; How often do you think bribes are accepted? Etc.

Questions focused on obtaining respondents‘ opinions on corruption were classified as follows: 

1. Opinions about  corruption in society

2. Causes of corruption in the police

3. Frequency of offering and accepting bribes 

4. Situations of bribe offers

5. Reasons for refusing  bribes 

6. Causes of criminality and offences among policemen. 

Interesting findings were received in connection with the causes of criminality + offenses. These were represented by the opinion that police criminality is caused by a low level of legal + moral awareness among young policemen. Negative attitudes toward the moral and legal awareness of young policemen are rapidly increasing among policemen who have been on  duty for five years or more. The youngest policemen also think (but not as radically) that low legal and moral attitudes have an influence on criminality of young policemen.

There are some crucial problems with this type of surveys.

During work meetings where the questionnaires are completed, it is necessery to prohibit people from copying and consulting each with other.

A problem of securing anonymity is, perhaps, the most important one.

Another crucial problem is how to motivate the respondents.

It could be said that a methodology of the surveys on police corruption has not yet been done.   It could be recommended to study surveys on employee satisfaction in a private sector and  implement some of this into the surveys of police corruption.

There should be feedback given to the respondents to let them know what will be done about these problemas in advance.