Safety of Police Officers in the Context of Threats Related to Interventions and Protection Against Attacks

The police is an institution dealing not only with the protection of public safety and order, detection of criminal offenses, and search for missing persons, but it also conducts activities aimed at maintaining public order in dangerous situations resulting from the violation of the law. It includes the broadly understood fight against terrorism and neutralizing individuals and terrorist groups. While ensuring public safety and order in public places, on roads, waters, and in rail or air traffic, police officers put their lives and well-being at risk every day, facing various threats. In almost every intervention, officers risk bodily injuries, which can often lead to disability, and in some particularly dangerous situations, even to the loss of life. The risk of injury is a consequence of the behavior of persons against whom official actions are taken to eliminate unlawful conduct. The awareness and presence of such threats cause fear and high levels of stress among police officers, which translates into the efficiency of their service and interventions. The solution to an attempted assault on a police officer, active resistance, or an assault with a dangerous instrument may be the identification and description of countermeasures that affect the level of personal safety of each police officer. The article presents and describes selected categories of threats that may occur during an intervention. Moreover, the author has analyzed the significant factors determining high effectiveness in counteracting and repelling all kinds of dangers the intervening officers may encounter