EUROPE | Police oversight mechanisms in the Council of Europe member states

Every democratic society needs its police force to embody the highest professional standards, and to respect human rights and the law in all its activities. This helps to secure and maintain public confidence and trust in policing actions and in the rule of law, contributing to the enhancement of community safety.

It is therefore imperative that the police are answerable to citizens for any unlawful or abusive conduct and that complaints and allegations from the public are efficiently addressed and investigated.

It is the state’s duty to set up an effective and fair policy monitoring system by an independent external body and to ensure that the findings are reported to the general public, and that good practices are spread in order to bring about positive changes in policing.

The publication "Police oversight mechanisms in the Council of Europe member states" was produced  by  the  Criminal  law  Co-operation  Unit  of  the  Directorate  General  of  Human  Rights  and  Rule  of  Law. It gives  a  snapshot  of  police  oversight  mechanisms  across  the forty-seven member States as of February 2017 and provides a review of national structures and includes a critical assessment as well as a series of recommendations aimed at improving the current situation.

Source: Council of Europe