Overview of the present criminal police reform in Lithuania: from structural changes towards efficiency of activities

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Ikiteisminis tyrimas; Kriminalinė policijos pareigūnas; Kriminalinės policijos reforma; Nusikalstamų veikų tyrimo organizavimas; Prioritetai; Prokuroras; Criminal police officer; Organization of criminal investigations; Pre-trial investigation; Priorities; Prosecutor; Reform of criminal police; Reform of the criminal police.

ENThis article aims at introducing the present reform of the Lithuanian criminal police. It reflects principal prerequisites for the reform in the fields of legal regulation, practical application and structural changes. This reform of the criminal police is characterized by complexity of actions since the alterations encompass not only peculiarities of criminal activities and implementation of new forms of work organization in practice but also specific features of the professional development of criminal police officers. The article consists of the introduction outlining the most relevant and latest indicators of legal regulation in the field of organization of criminal investigations. The body of the article consists of three interrelated parts consistently analyzing changes related to the structure and activities of the criminal police. The first part outlines key reasons which determined indispensable changes to be carried out in the criminal police, as well as substantial structural changes of the criminal police in 2014-2015. The second part is devoted to the analysis of one of the most critical spheres of legal regulation in streamlining the organization of pre-trial investigation, i.e. prioritization of pre-trial investigations which was launched in 2015. This part also highlights how prioritization of pre-trial investigations adds to a more efficient organization of activities. The issue of the legitimation of priority identification for pre-trial investigations is discussed as well. The third part overviews one of the examples of implementation of innovative activity models, that is, a tentative case of Kaunas police commenced in 2015, involving activities of Criminal acts Registration Unit along with principal guidelines for this activity. Possible strengths of this model of activities and possible weaknesses, as a prerequisite of such a form of work, are identified. [From the publication]