Modern Trends in Policing: Public Perceptions o the Preferred Policing Models in Slovenia

Modern police organisations operate in a highly dynamic environment amid a sea of various fast-paced societal, economic, political and technological trends to which they must find suitable responses. For reforms to be efficient, flexible structures and innovative solutions are essential. Yet, implementing innovation in the public sector is made especially challenging by issues that encompass systemic transformations. In previous decades, the police in Slovenia have initiated many reforms and implemented new policing approaches and models. Still, critical analysis shows that in some areas the reforms have not produced the desired results. One reason for this is that the planned changes and policing styles are incompatible with the existing organisational structures and the needs of communities. In the first part, this article reviews the latest developmental trends in modern police organisation and their impacts on policing. The article's second part presents the results of a study performed among Slovenian residents regarding which policing model is perceived to be the most appropriate for their communities. Respondents chose community policing and the lawful policing model as the most suitable models, while the overall findings give the basis for the future development of police models and police work in Slovenia.