Suchergebnisse

The main objective of the article is to show that the temporary symbiosis between centres of political power and organized crime leads to the development of permanent, corrupt and opaque networks. Focusing on the countries of the Western Balkans, the author points to the reasons for the development of organized crime in the region and then to the conditions created in the post-conflict period that resulted in the failure of effective attempts to stop organized crime and the corruption that facilitates it in the these countries. The article also points out that the creation of symbiotic relationships between political elites and organized crime groups leads to a 'state capture.' The unresolved problems of corruption and organized crime, in turn, have a direct impact on these countries' EU-integration processes.

The study explains the nature and strength of the influence of the determinants of fear of crime. According to other studies gender, age, education, place of residence, material status, worldview and religious orientation, victimization influence the level of fear of crime. In order to verify the impact of these factors, the CATREG analysis technique was used. Variables such as the level of anomie, crime, unemployment and suicide rates were introduced, as an original author's concept. A model of factors influencing fear of crime was created. The most important element of it turned out to be prior victimization, as well as – to a lesser extent – negative attitudes towards state institutions that are to ensure safety and the occupation.

Organized crime did not arise suddenly, it is an occurrence that dates back to the nineteenth century. Its modern form is characterized by exceptional diversity both in terms of goods threatened by its impact, as well as the forms in which it manifests itself. The main area of threats are drug production and trafficking. It is a global problem and the links of organized crime groups cover the whole world, regardless of the system, political or economic situation of a given country. The international drug crime has been developed too rapidly and individual governments are not abble to cope with it. Countries have been confronted with joining forces and creating a strong legal instrument, based on international cooperation, which will be able to give the relevant national authorities the right powers to counter organized drug crime. The aim of the article is to present the legislative and institutional dimension of the fight against organized drug crime in the global, european and national perspective.

In Poland, similarly to other countries, there is no unambiguous agreed explanation to the reasons for the observed decline in crime. The article analyses the impact of video monitoring systems on losses caused by three categories of offenses: (a) car theft, theft with burglary, theft from cars; (b) damage to cars; (c) robbery. To answer the question whether the installation of video surveillance systems has an impact on security, the economic effect of installing cameras in eight Polish cities (Gdańsk, Katowice, Kielce, Lublin, Łódź, Poznań, Warszawa, Wrocław), where video surveillance systems are well developed, is examined. Determining whether the installation of cameras contributes to the reduction of losses caused by crime allows assessing the suitability of cameras for improving public safety. The study partially confirms the effectiveness of video monitoring systems for a decrease in crime in the analysed categories of crime. However, other possible factors, in addition to the development of monitoring, may have an impact. Moreover, the impact is less pronounced in the case of the volume of losses caused by crime than the number of crimes. Thus, when assessing public policies regarding security, the number of offenses criterion is insufficient.

On January 19, 2012, the European Commission (Commission) decided to launch a visa liberalisation dialogue with Kosovo, and on June 14, 2012, it handed over to Kosovo's government a 'Roadmap Towards a Visa-free Regime'. This document included 95 requirements that Kosovo had to fulfil. By 2016, the Commission had adopted four reports on progress made by Kosovo in the visa dialogue. In a report issued on May 4, 2016, the EC proposed to the Council of the EU (Council) and the European Parliament (EP) to lift visa requirements on the citizens of Kosovo. The Commission stressed that by the day of the adoption of the proposal by the EP and the Council, Kosovo must have ratified the border/boundary agreement with Montenegro and strengthened its track record in the fight against organised crime and corruption. On July 18, 2018, the Commission confirmed in a report on the progress made by Kosovo in the visa dialogue, that the country had fulfilled the last two requirements included in the roadmap. The aim of this article is to analyse the visa-liberalisation dialogue between the European Union (EU) and Kosovo and whether liberalisation through a visa-free regime with Kosovo had an influence on reducing organised crime and corruption in Kosovo. The article is based on an analysis of primary and secondary sources, as well as statistical data.