Activities of police in the democratic state

Policing in Europe is organised on the basis of continental (Romano Germanic) law and common (Anglo-Saxon) law, the police developed differently in the two systems of law: the continental law police is characterised by a strict hierarchy of police institutions, centralised administration and a wide range of police functions (Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain, France etc. and Latvia, too); decentralisation of police administration and significant powers of local authorities in the policing sphere are typical of the common law police (the United Kingdom). In terms of sources of law police law develops into two directions. The first direction is the systematisation of legislative acts; the second direction – further enhancement of the role of normative acts in the regulation of social relations in the policing sphere. An international standard for training police officers in the field of human rights is already reflected in many international documents, such as: the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement, Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, the Declaration on the Police, the European Code Police Ethics. Professional standards are still under discussion and development