As Poslovni writes, the Split-Dalmatia police issued a communication manual for police officers, unique in Croatia, in which they are advised on how to make a first impression on citizens, how to talk to them, and what not to do.
The manual also explains the interview procedure at the police station, how to conduct an interview with victims of violence, what to do when a disgruntled citizen addresses them and how to react when the situation escalates.
The manual, authored by the head of the Trogir police station, Marko Doljanin, was distributed to all police stations in the county and can be read on the website of the police department.
Doljanin said for Hina that communication skills are an essential element in the successful performance of police work.
He believes that relations between citizens and the police are created in communication, that is, a relationship of trust is either established or not, and citizens’ trust in the police is a necessary precondition for the successful performance of police work.
The more trust citizens have in the police or the more convinced they are that the police work in their interest, the more willing they are to respect police decisions and work together with the police in some common interest.
“Colleagues in the field say that the manual helps, and we also received praise from citizens who expressed their satisfaction with the work of the police officers. When a citizen feels the need to write about it and send it to us, it means that they were touched by the exchange and that they noticed that the communication was professional”, said Doljanin.
Split police spokeswoman Antonela Lolić said that they realised that they could help their colleagues, especially young police officers, with a manual right at the beginning of their career, because they believe that communication is something that they can always improve.
She stated that the first impression citizens have about the police is based on how they are approached, what they are asked, and what interest is shown.
The idea for the Communication Manual for Police Officers came to the head of the Trogir station, Marko Doljanin, by looking at his biggest dilemmas and what could be improved to make police work better and to ensure that citizens are more satisfied.
“He collected materials from his own and other experiences, and now we have a booklet as a reminder to our police officers of the most common situations they find themselves in and the correct ways to act in them”, said Lolić.
The Ministry of the Interior is also satisfied with the communication manual for police officers, which was financed by the Security Committee of the Split-Dalmatia County, where they confirmed that it has the potential to be widely used in the Croatian police, at the same time confirming that it is the first of its kind in Croatia.
For more, check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.
