Use of Special Means in Police Work

The author believes that this theme is relevant based on the fact that the author herself is a police officer at the State Police and has had contact with special means. Basically almost every police officer has been in contact with special means. Special means are devices designed mostly for protection, and in every police officer’s life can be a situation when he has to use special means and since the use of them may result in a person’s injury, it is very important to know in which situations special means should and in which should not be used. The Constitution of the Republic of Latvia provides that the State shall recognize and protect fundamental human rights. One of the country's institutions, which, according to the Constitution, performs this task, is the State Police. Law ‘’On Police’’ states that the police are an armed, militarised State or local government authority, whose duty is to protect from criminal and other illegal threats life, health, rights and freedoms, property, and the interests of society and the State. This law gives the police rather extensive rights, so the police can effectively perform their duties. In the law "On Police" Article 12 are listed the general rights of a police officer. In this same law Articles 13 and 14 are set special police officer rights to use physical force, special means or even firearms. These specific rights are set out in separate articles, to highlight the importance and the responsibility that lies on the shoulders of a police officer when deciding the question of the use of physical force, special means or firearms.