Anokhin, S.A. Role of internal affairs bodies in enforcing legal protection of environment

Abstract: The object of this study includes activities of the law-enforcement bodies in the sphere of environment and guarantees of environmental security, as well as court activities in the sphere of protection of environmental rights. The number of environmental crimes and other offences is ever-growing annually. These offences have growing influence upon the public security, and in some regions they serve as political destabilization factors. All of the above requires greater efforts of all of the state bodies, law-enforcement bodies included, towards protection and revival of the natural environment of people. The scientific research methods include: historical legal and analytical methods. The methodology of the scientific study includes analysis of the nature and elements of law-enforcement functions of police in their interaction with the other law-enforcement bodies as well as with specialized bodies, competent to protect environmental security. The scientific novelty includes evaluation of law-enforcement functions of internal affairs bodies in the sphere of environmental protection. An important sphere of internal affairs bodies activities includes prophylactics of environmental offences. If one is to consider that the environmental legal activities of the internal affairs bodies may be deemed efficient when the number of environmental offences is lowered, then their most important goal is to uncover causes and prerequisites, supporting the commission of environmental crimes and development of measures aimed at prevention and interception. The study provides a conclusion that the current organization structure of internal affairs bodies generally is capable of standing up to modern environmental needs and challenges, in spite of some of its shortcomings.

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