Psychological Readiness of Police Officers to Investigate War Crimes
Abstract
Abstract. World armed conflicts have posed numerous challenges and threats to the entire state mechanism of Ukraine and Israel and its institutions. Ensuring state security and preserving countries has become a task not only for law enforcement agencies, state authorities and local governments, but also for every citizen. Therefore, one of the strategic priorities for countries at war remains the fight against crime, and wartime criminogenic realities require an effective response mechanism from the institutions of the security and defense sector. The article emphasizes that the main management decision of the heads of the police departments and units of Ukraine and Israel in wartime was to bring them into combat readiness, alert personnel, and determine tasks in accordance with the plan and the current situation. Police officers participate in active military operations and maintain law and order in the deoccupied territories, which poses a potential threat to law enforcement officers of physical injuries and psychological traumatic syndrome. Future readiness and improved communication between different law enforcement agencies will improve cooperation in the difficult conditions of eliminating the consequences of military attacks. When investigating war crimes, the level of training of personnel in stressful situations is important. Attention is drawn to the traumatic emotional stress experienced by police officers during the identification of bodies. The identification process demonstrated the psychological complexity and problems faced by practitioners who participated in it. At the personal level, the emotional well-being of practitioners and safe working conditions should be a priority in effective process management. The need for psychological support for police officers in real war conditions is emphasized, since individual symptoms of stress-related injuries may manifest themselves over time. Therefore, when investigating war crimes, the psychological readiness of police officers for the conditions of military operations is a comprehensive measure to ensure psychological and physical health and develop protective mechanisms. The strategic objectives of psychological support for police officers during wartime are identified: ensuring optimal mental health, developing resilience to stress factors, and readiness to overcome difficulties in performing official duties. It is recommended to focus on supporting the mental health of police officers during wartime.
Keywords: police; martial law; war; armed conflict; crimes; investigation; victim; cognition; stress; aggression; adaptation; psychological support.
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