Prague, July 26 (CTK) – Nearly two thirds (65 percent) of people have confidence in the police in the Czech Republic, according to the STEM institute’s poll released today, which has been the highest figure in the country’s modern history starting in 1993.
In the 1990s, confidence in the police was never above 40 percent. It was lowest in 1997, when only 27 percent trusted police officers.
The pollsters write that the STEM data show that after the fall of the communist regime in 1989 it was not easy for the police to persuade the public that they are trustworthy.
After a devastating flooding in the summer of 2002, there was an upsurge in the popularity of the police, from 46 to 63 percent over four months. However, their popularity again fell in 2003, to 38 percent.
Since 2005, the trust has been steadily growing up to the present 65 percent. In January, 61 percent said they trusted the police.
A part of the public seems to appreciate the present situation where the police are not troubled by any big scandals, the pollsters write. The need to strengthen security services in connection with the discussion about the refugee crisis may be reflected in it as well, they add.
The police recently became more trustworthy especially among people older than 60 and those with a lower education.
The latest poll also showed that a majority of people (54 percent) do not trust the bodies participating in criminal prosecution, comprising police officers, state attorneys and judges.
Most people believe that courts are biased (63 percent) and do not work well (59 percent). The public assessment of courts has remained more or less the same since the early 1990s.
The poll was conducted among 1023 respondents aged over 18 on June 5-18.
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