Abstract: The problem of improving the image of police officers is an urgent and significant task for the Russian state. In the article, the author reveals the concepts of "image" and "social portrait" of a police officer. It is determined that an image is a subjective perception of an object, and a social portrait is its objective characteristic. Despite these differences, common features of these categories are also proposed. Firstly, the image and social portrait are collective in nature, they are characterized by a mass consciousness, not an individual one. Secondly, image and social portrait have a communicative nature. Thirdly, the image and social portrait depend on the cultural and historical cycle. The methodological basis of the research is general scientific methods: analysis, generalization, comparison. In this understanding, the correlation between the concepts of "image" and "social portrait" of a police officer is interesting. The author draws attention to the fact that creating a positive image of a police officer is impossible without studying public opinion, which is a tool that can identify the main ways to optimize the image of police officers. In the article, the author draws attention to such a concept as "self-image". It is important for a police officer to realize the need to engage in self-development, to learn his strengths and weaknesses. It is determined that for a complete and specific picture concerning the image of a police officer, the unity of three key terms is necessary: "image", "social portrait" and "self-image". This approach may have practical significance in studying the image of a police officer, helping to answer questions: social perceptions of the employee, whether the employee meets the requirements, whether the employee himself strives for the ideal.

Abstract: In the last decade, interest in the image of a police officer has been increasing. The ongoing changes affect all spheres of life of modern society, the public perception of the police is also changing, which also actualizes the topic under consideration. The term "social portrait" or "sociological portrait" appears quite often in the scientific literature. However, a number of studies have not even attempted to justify the need for the use of this term in any way. In principle, this term was also not deterministic in a practice-oriented environment. The absence of a methodological description is characteristic not only for modern researchers, but also for Soviet scientists who quite often used the term "social portrait", meaning by it some abstract generalized characteristic of a certain social class. The object of the study is the social portrait of a police officer. The subject of the study is the basic components that influence the formation of a social portrait of a police officer. The goal-setting of the formation of a social portrait at the present stage is determined by the attitude of police officers to their professional activities, promotion, the socio-psychological atmosphere within the team, the attitude of police officers to family and marriage, money and recreation. The scientific novelty lies in the proposed approach to the formation of a social portrait of a police officer, the peculiarity of which is the definition of basic components that allow identifying the characteristic features of this social group. The main methods of obtaining information can be a questionnaire survey, interviews, content analysis. The practical significance lies in the fact that the information obtained can be used in scientific, pedagogical, practical work when considering issues related to the formation of personnel and reserve, training of employees according to professional training programs, moral and psychological support, social guarantees, etc.

Abstract:  
The article considers the problems of professional training of citizens who joined the internal affairs bodies of Russia. The author gives theoretical interpretation to the problem and demonstrates the interrelation between such categories as need, motive, result, and emotion. The author pays attention to the personal attitude of professional training students affecting their choice of professional activity, particularly, the service in internal affairs bodies. The research object is the professional training students studying the police officer program. The research subject is the personal attitudes of students during professional training. The author finds out that the only need to get some knowledge and skills is not enough. Of great importance is the motivation of students, their understanding of their professional duty and will to perform official responsibilities at a professional level. The author notes that the moral and psychological potential of a person has an important role as it affects the personal development of an officer. It’s been established that the result of students’ work depends on their personal dedication. Particularly, their commitment, life orientations and guidelines affect the active involvement of students into the educational process, their performance, professional skills acquisition, formation of competence. 
 

Abstract: The subject of research covers such categories as “professionalism” and “competence”. These concepts are considered from the general scientific viewpoint, and with respect to internal affairs officers. The author studies the criteria of professionalism, the levels and types of competence. Competence is the most important component of professionalism of internal affairs officers. The research object is professional competence of internal affairs officers which is understood to be an ability to protect life, health, rights and liberties of an individual and a citizen, public order, and property, to ensure public safety, to combat crime, in particular, under the conditions requiring use of force, special means and firearms, and in an emergency. The author concludes that professional competence of internal affairs officers is a complex concept which includes the range of personal traits, the ability to apply the acquired knowledge, and the knowledge itself. Using the outcome-based approach to the educational activity, the author focuses on the modular variant of professional training of internal affairs officers. The organization of internal affairs officers into modules depends on their duty position. The author enumerates the main advantages of such an approach: the contents of modules allows acquiring comprehensive professional knowledge; different levels and types of competence are being implemented. The gained professional competence in professional training programs for internal affairs officers promotes the formation of consistent vision of professional tasks. 
 

Abstract: The author gives attention to one of the topical issues related to image making. In the history of science, the prerequisites to the formation of an image of professional workers were studied. The article describes two approaches to the study of image: the philosophical one and the sociological one. The author compares philosophical and sociological views with the image of a police officer and notes the resemblance of the main requirements to image making. The methodological base includes general scientific and specific methods. The first group includes analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison and description. The second one - questioning. The author studies the opinion of students about the work of the police and concludes that public opinion can’t form a particular image of the object under study, but merely evaluates it using the given criteria. Image is represented as a combination of individual psychological characteristics helping to perform professional tasks.