ZAGREB, May 19 (Hina) - The Croatian police received a new code of conduct after 20 years. The code, issued in the Official Gazette (Narodne Novine), stipulates manners in which the police can carry out their authorities.
ZAGREB, May 19 (Hina) - The Croatian police received a new code of
conduct after 20 years. The code, issued in the Official Gazette
(Narodne Novine), stipulates manners in which the police can carry
out their authorities. #L#
The code, which will go in force next week, refers to all police
officers, except traffic and border policemen. The conduct of the
latter categories is not regulated in such a way due to a lack of
legal basis, but it will be regulated by the interior minister's
rules, directives or guidelines.
A list of some 100 criminal acts is added to the said code in case of
which police officers can use fire-arms as coercive measure.
The code also prescribes the conduct of police in various
situations such as identification, calls for interviews, searches,
and the taking of coercive measures.
The code states when and how each coercive measure can and should be
applied.
In cases of arrests, police officers should explicitly tell a
person they are arresting that they "are being arrested because of
this and that crime", and the police should say "You are not obliged
to give a statement, and you have the right to a lawyer and to inform
your family."
The old code will become invalid with the new one taking effect next
week.
(hina) ms sb