The Importance and Effectiveness Assessment of Internal Control in the Slovenian Police

Purpose: The paper presents the findings of a study conducted on a sample of internal control providers within the Slovenian police as part of the target research project "Effectiveness of Systemic Control of the Police in Regard to Human Rights as well as the Statutory and Professional Standards of Police Work (V5-1942)". The purpose of the study was to analyse the control activity in the Slovenian police from the viewpoint of those carrying out control procedures. We were interested in their view of the control process and, through the interviews, we analysed the opportunities and shortcomings of the control activity within the Slovenian police in relation to systemic control conducted by external stakeholders. Design/Methods/Approach: We examined the regulatory framework of control activities in the public sector and in the police and presented the approaches used across Europe. In the empirical part, we conducted structured interviews with employees at the state level, namely with the employees tasked with carrying out control procedures in the General Police Directorate, the Criminal Police Directorate and the Uniformed Police Directorate, and we also conducted interviews with two superintendents at the Police Directorate level. We conducted a total of seven interviews. Findings: The research found that audits, whether carried out by the Ministry of the Interior or by the Police auditors, are seen as a vital element of the management of a police organization. The interview subjects emphasized the role of the heads of police units - both from the point of view of planning internal control activities and translating the findings of the audits into police practice. The dissemination of audit findings can be ensured through the digitization of police work processes; interviewees expressed the need for a systematic solution that would allow them to test the competencies of police officers. Research Limitations/Implications: The article presents the findings from the point of view of the employees responsible for carrying out control activities within the Slovenian police. For a more complete overview of the matter, our findings should be compared with the perspective of those who are the subjects of the control activities, i.e. the police officers who have undergone the control process. The findings of the research are useful primarily for the purposes of planning the processes related to the management and administration of police work and from the point of view of improving the quality of police work. Originality/Value: The paper examines how the employees responsible for carrying out the control activities perceive their own work and how the processes involved in the control of police work are organized, how they function and how effective they are.