V.A. Kislukhin. Activity of Police of the Netherlands in Fight against Corruption: Historiсаl and Legal Aspects

Abstract: The world community worries about the problem of corruption which is defined as bribability of officials, use of imperious powers with a view of reception of personal benefit. Today corruption becomes threat for economy not only of separately taken countries, but also of all international system. In interests of fight against corruption of the state, such legal acts, as the Convention of the United Nations against corruption (2003), the Convention of the Council of Europe about criminally-legal responsibility for corruption (1999), the International code of behavior of officials (1996) and other documents have been accepted within the limits of the United Nations and the Council of Europe. The Russian Federation also has taken up obligations to carry out cooperation in counteraction to criminality and bring the national legislation in accordance to the international norms. However, there are no any positive shifts in overcoming of destructive influence of corruption on the Russian society. At the same time, out of ten countries of the world, the Kingdom of the Netherlands is a state which is the most free from corruption. During its history the Netherlands went through many political shocks, revolutions, social conflicts. The Dutch society struggled against corruption throughout many centuries. Dishonest policemen, public prosecutors, judges who used the office position with a view of personal enrichment, were especially harmful for the Dutch society. In the end the XX – beginning of the XXI-st centuries there was a new rise in confrontation with this negative social phenomenon, and it is connected with carrying out of anticorruption strategy under the general name “the policy of national honesty” in the Netherlands. This strategy includes numerous social and legal norms and institutes directed to counteraction to corruption. Queen Beatriks gives her people an example in carrying out of “policy of national honesty.” She is one of the richest women of Europe, but she shows modesty, always and in everything, and never boasts her wealth. Norms of counteraction to corruption are also introduced in the Constitution of Kingdom of the Netherlands, in the Criminal code of Holland, and other legal acts. The mechanism of realization of “policy of national honesty” includes monitoring of possible points of occurrence of situations of a corruption orientation in state and public organizations, training of civil servants to rules of conduct, careful selection and placement of personnel to responsible posts. The Dutch respect those civil servants who are engaged in social service of the population. In the country a system of encouragements and stimulus is created for those workers who fairly and effectively carry out their duties. A civil servant convicted of corruption, is considered as the public enemy and is forbidden to hold a position in organs of state authority till the end of life. The police of the Netherlands gets authorities from the population and according to the law from 1993. Selection of candidates for service in police is carried out on a competitive basis by means of interview, testing, check of previous life. Those candidates for work in police, who have predisposition to bribery, do not get the position. Norms of behavior of a police employee are listed in the Professional code of police of the Netherlands, accepted by Council of the main commissioners on January, 24th, 2007. This document contains such characteristics of seven professional values of police employees, as “respect,” “transparency,” “responsibility,” “inclusion,” “confidence,” “justice” and “balance,” promoting development and fastening in consciousness of a policeman respect for the chosen profession. Policemen show initiative at exposure of a corrupted colleague, offering him to leave the service at his own will. If he doesn’t leave it voluntary, they address the same request to the administration. Such their actions are called “to sew up a colleague.” Besides corruption, the prestige of the Dutch police is harmed by swindlers who deceive trustful foreign citizens, take hold of their money and thus give out themselves for police officers. The police warns tourists about possible deceits on all TV channels. Positive experience of police of the Netherlands in fight against corruption, taking into account national features, can also be successfully used in activity of law-enforcement bodies of the Russian Federation.

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