Formation of professional ethics of traffic police officers as an important element for creating a high level of public self-confidence

Temnyakov Dmitrii Aleksandrovich PhD in Pedagogy Deputy Head of the Department of Organization of the Work of Road Traffic Safety Protection Units of the V. Ya. Kikot Moscow University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia 143100, Russia, Moscow region, village Staroteryaevo, Staroteryaevo, 1 Dima-terjewo@rambler.ru Other publications by this author

Zrazhevskii Dmitrii Viktorovich senior lecturer; Department of Organization of activities of road Safety units; Moscow Regional Branch of the Moscow University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia named after V.Ya. Kikot 141055, Russia, Moscow region, Lobnya, Bukinskoe str., 26, sq. 56 zragd@mail.ru

The formation of ethical qualities begins at an early stage of each person's development, this process continues throughout life. The ethical education of an individual has general principles and methods of influence, however, the results of such education may be different. In turn, some elements of general ethical education are influenced by professional activity. The activities of employees of the State Road Safety Inspectorate have their own ethical characteristics associated with the performance of specific professional tasks. Ethical education of traffic police officers can be considered as the first step on the path to professionalism, as it contributes to the development of a culture of self-awareness of employees themselves and their belonging to a certain social group. The ethical education of Traffic Police officers not only lays the foundations for professional growth, but also plays a key role in building public trust in law enforcement agencies as a whole. Such authors as A. A. Gabdulina, M. R. Tambieva, A. Z. dealt with the problems of citizens' trust in law enforcement agencies. Afaunov, D. V. Tarasenko and A. P. Tyun ^[2]. According to most authors, it can be concluded that the population is dominated by people who have a negative attitude towards law enforcement agencies. Among other things, they emphasize that certain stereotypes in relation to law enforcement officers are the result of the influence of the media. In the context of modern challenges and complex social realities, traffic police officers face situations that require not only professional skills, but also high moral standards. It is important to note that ethical education includes not only the assimilation of theoretical knowledge about morality and legislation, but also the practical application of these norms in real life. Scientific research in the field of morality and morality in the internal affairs bodies was carried out by many jurists, among whom were: I. I. Aminov, V. Ya. Kikot, L. Ya. Smirnova, A. P. Havrak, A.V. Shcheglov, N. D. Eriashvili^[1]. A study of published materials on the topic showed the lack of a scientific comparative analysis of the impact of the ethical qualities of employees of the State Road Safety Inspectorate on the level of public trust. In addition, there are no publications dedicated to identifying the causes and conditions that contribute to reducing citizens' trust in traffic police officers.

The formation of professional ethics of Traffic police officers is an essential aspect to ensure a high level of public confidence in the internal affairs bodies. This topic requires a comprehensive analysis, since professional ethics directly affects the interaction between inspectors and citizens, as well as the image of the civil service as a whole. Traffic police officers should be able to analyze difficult situations, make decisions, while observing ethical standards and respecting the rights and freedoms of citizens^[3]. Employees of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate not only ensure compliance with traffic rules, but also embody public authorities with their activities, therefore, the authority of the law is directly related to those principles of justice, humanism, tolerance, kindness, nobility, honesty and responsibility that were formed in an individual in the process of socialization before joining the internal affairs bodies. Thus, the subject of this study is the peculiarities of the ethical education of employees of the State Road Safety Inspectorate. The object is the professional ethical standards of an employee of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, which represent a set of moral obligations, principles and norms of behavior of traffic police officers in the process of communicating with management, colleagues and road users.

The research focuses on the study of norms, values and principles that regulate the behavior of traffic police officers. This includes an analysis of the codes of ethics, standards of professional conduct and the internal culture of the organization. The main focus is on how these norms can influence the specific actions and decisions of inspectors, as well as their interaction with citizens.

In recent years, there has been a significant renewal of the personnel of the State Traffic Inspectorate, many young employees have been recruited. More than half of the ordinary and junior senior staff of the traffic patrol service of the State Traffic Inspectorate are young people under twenty-five years old. Among this category of employees there are citizens who have their own subjective views on ethics and morality, duty and honor. It is often with them that road users interact, and, as a result, they create the general perception of citizens about the traffic police system. In a scientific article, E. A. Sumina notes that, in response to the question, what means of working with personnel will help prevent violations of official discipline and increase the level of professional and ethical preparedness of a traffic police officer? 4% of respondents indicated the organization of moral and psychological training and vocational training at the place of service of employees of internal affairs bodies; 29% - indicated the need to increase the level of monetary allowance; 63% - stated the need to organize comprehensive work on individual educational impact (mentoring, analysis of violations, conducting additional classes on the study of problematic issues), the formation (development) of personality qualities fundamental for an employee of internal affairs bodies; 4% - an increase in social guarantees for employees of internal affairs bodies ^[8]. In this regard, it should be noted that the professional and ethical qualities of an employee of the State Traffic Inspectorate directly depend on his professional training. Such qualities as:

- High level of development of communication skills. This is the ability to communicate with other people, find a common language with them, understand their needs and desires, and respond to them correctly.

- Good speech training. Speech should not only be coherent and literate, but also clear, separate, clear and at the right pace. Phrases should be clear, unambiguous, not allowing ambiguity and understatement.

- External physical attractiveness. This includes not only a personable and impeccable appearance, but also the mastery of facial expressions and pantomime, the absence of unaesthetic gestures and movements.

- The ability to empathize (empathy). It is necessary to anticipate and understand the feelings and experiences of other people and have the ability to respond to them correctly.

- The ability to resolve conflicts and work under stress. Stressful and conflict situations often arise in the activities of representatives of this type of profession, therefore, it is very important to avoid such excesses and resolve them in the most peaceful way.

Personality qualities affecting the professional and ethical preparedness of a traffic police officer:

- The need for communication. People who are too introverted, closed, uncommunicative or self-absorbed will not be able to work in this field.

- Responsiveness and love for people. It is necessary to enjoy the very process of communicating with another person, to be always ready to provide him with all possible help.

- Stress tolerance and psychological readiness for difficult circumstances. Unlike the previously considered ability to resolve conflicts, this quality implies moral preparedness for the possible occurrence of various emergency situations, the ability in this case to act reasonably and coolly, and in the future independently cope with the adverse effects of stress.

- The ability to listen. Despite the apparent simplicity, not everyone is able to listen carefully and understand their interlocutor correctly. But this skill is necessary when working with people, because only the correct interpretation of the opponent's point of view allows you to perform correct and adequate actions in response.

- The ability to convince. The talent to competently and intelligibly convey to the consciousness of another person his rightness is one of the main components of the activity of a traffic police officer.

The duty to suppress administrative offenses in the field of road safety is assigned to employees of the State Traffic Inspectorate, accordingly, educational and preventive measures to explain to citizens the new rules and threats associated with the use of new technologies should also be carried out by employees of the State Road Safety Inspectorate. As the practice of professional activity shows, road users who violate traffic rules when communicating with an inspector of the State Road Safety Inspectorate often do not admit their guilt. In this case, an employee of the State Traffic Inspectorate needs to convincingly and argumentatively appeal to normative legal acts to prove to a road user what his offense is, while the employee must strictly adhere to official ethics and generally recognized moral norms.

The professional ethics of an employee of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate is a set of moral obligations, principles and norms of behavior that an employee of the State Traffic Inspectorate applies in the process of communicating with management, colleagues and road users.

The main source of professional morality of employees of the State Road Safety Inspectorate, of course, is personal spiritual and moral development. The problem of the spiritual and moral development of Traffic police officers is a key aspect that requires attention and an integrated approach. In the context of rapid changes in society affecting the professional activities of law enforcement agencies, it is important not only to ensure high standards of professional training, but also to develop employees' internal qualities such as morality, ethics and humanity. However, the implementation of this task is not so simple. Traditional methods, such as preventive conversations and job training, often prove insufficient to have a profound effect on consciousness and behavior. More effective approaches are needed, including the integration of psychological and socio-cultural aspects into employee training. It is important to create conditions for self-reflection, raising the level of self-awareness, as well as interaction with society. This can be achieved through experience exchange programs, active involvement in social projects together with public organizations and citizens, and support for initiatives aimed at improving the image of the Traffic Police and its relations with the population. In addition, it is important not to forget about the continuity of the process of ethical education. It should be integrated into the daily practice of traffic police officers, and not remain something separate and temporary. In addition, the personal example of managers is also important, which serves as a model of behavior for all employees.

Professional and ethical qualities are the core of the entire moral structure of a person. The professional and moral education of Traffic police officers is the formation of their spirituality based on the highest moral ideals^[4].

The components of the professional ethics of employees of the State Road Safety Inspectorate are: moral principles, requirements and norms for the performance of work to ensure road safety, which are mandatory, but at the same time depend on the individual, i.e. they are performed freely, in accordance with the law and duty.

An important component of the professional activity of traffic police officers is the relationship with road users. The most difficult conditions of interaction are those that are accompanied by provocative actions by drivers of vehicles, and require police officers to have communicative competence, in-depth knowledge of legislation, regulatory legal acts in the field of road safety. The State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, in carrying out its activities, is guided by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, federal constitutional laws, the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation, Federal Law No. 3-FZ of 07.02.2011 (as amended on 07.03.2018) "On Police", Federal Law No. 196-FZ of 10.12.1995 (as amended on 26.07.2017) "On Road Safety movement", other federal laws, decrees of the President of the Russian Federation, resolutions of the Government of the Russian Federation, normative legal acts of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, laws and other normative legal acts of the subjects of the Russian Federation^[5].

The specifics of the professional ethics of a traffic police officer are reflected in Article 2 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation: "A person, his rights and freedoms are the highest value. The recognition, observance and protection of human and civil rights and freedoms is the duty of the State."

Priority in the activities of the State Traffic Inspectorate are the principles established by Federal Law No. 196-FZ of December 10, 1995 "On Road Safety". This law establishes the following as the basic principles of road safety:

– ensuring the priority of the life and health of people involved in road traffic over the economic performance of enterprises;

– the priority of the state in ensuring road safety over the responsibility of citizens who participate in road traffic;

– respect for the interests of citizens, society and the state in ensuring road safety;

– a program-oriented approach to road safety activities.

The basic principles of professional ethics of employees of the State Road Safety Inspectorate include such characteristics as tolerance, sensitivity, humanism, democratic attitude, moral norms and compliance with legal requirements.

Delicacy as a quality of employees of the State Road Safety Inspectorate is the ability to be alien to arrogance, superiority in their communication with road users, to show simplicity, accessibility and lack of elitism and privilege in interpersonal relations, to take into account the interests of ordinary people.

Morality is a moral quality of a person, certain rules that guide a person in his choice. Regarding the employees of the State Road Safety Inspectorate, this is its internal installation based on special principles, norms and ideas.

Legality is a qualitative characteristic of the actual actions of employees of the State Road Safety Inspectorate, their activities reflecting their legal nature ^[6].

Etiquette is the established order of behavior and forms of behavior in society. It is a set of rules of politeness or rules of "good manners". Knowledge and observance of these rules makes communication between traffic police officers and road users mutually unpleasant.

In order to maintain a positive image of an employee of the State Road Safety Inspectorate, it is necessary to be guided by professional regulations, taking into account moral and ethical standards.

Traffic police officers need to pay great attention to their speech. It should be correct and expressive, logical. The culture of language is ultimately a culture of thought. The culture of speech is the ability to speak clearly and expressively. The ability to speak well and the ability to think correctly are interrelated. "Those who think clearly, state clearly," is a well-known aphorism. Correct speech is a speech in which the norms of the literary language are observed, that is, sounds and words are accurately pronounced, their logical coordination in sentences^[7].

Accurate speech is the strict correspondence of words to the objects and phenomena of reality that they denote.

Expressive speech reflects the intonation and emotional richness of speech.

Logical speech is a strictly consistent correspondence of the structure of speech to the laws of logic and thinking. Thus, an employee of the State Road Safety Inspectorate is often required to defend his position or refute certain provisions, explain, convince, and draw conclusions.

The intonation of speech absorbs the rhythmic and melodic side of speech, serves in a sentence as a means of expressing syntactic meanings and emotionally expressive coloring.

The requirement of good speech training of a traffic police officer obliges to build a conversation competently, in accordance with the rules of grammar of the Russian language, avoiding monosyllabic or incomplete sentences, inconsistent phrases, incorrect accents, the use of dialect, slang words, "parasite words", as well as other common mistakes. At the same time, the diction of the speaker should be clear, the phrases should be pronounced in such a way that they are understandable to the interlocutor; speech should not be lazy, inarticulate, or, conversely, too fast, not allowing you to make out individual words. In terms of semantic load, expressions need to be selected so that the formulations are accurate, built legally competently, but at the same time understandable to a citizen; unambiguous, not allowing for double interpretation; concise and complete, not causing a feeling of incompleteness or silence.

In his professional activity, the employee is interested in the result, the final result, which is achieved in the process of psychological contact. The speech should be put in such a way that the citizen understands something, assimilates, informs the necessary information known to him, gives in to something, obeys or refrains from any actions.

Highly developed communication skills are an integral part of the professional and ethical training of traffic police officers and involve such skills as: listening to another person, convincing them of the correctness of their point of view. Absolutely any citizen can act as an opponent, not only the driver of a stopped vehicle, but also a pedestrian who has applied. In communicating with everyone, the inspector is obliged to conduct a conversation in such a way as to keep the initiative in his hands. When contacting him with any question, the employee must listen to the speaker, understand the essence of what is being asked, after which he intelligently and qualitatively give an exhaustive answer within his competence and, as far as possible, provide any possible assistance. Here, qualities such as the ability to empathy and responsiveness come to the fore, which directly affect the creation and consolidation of a positive image in the minds of people, not only personally of this employee, but also of the entire State Traffic Inspectorate as a whole^[9]. In the event of any controversial moment, the inspector needs to be able to competently and clearly explain his point of view and convince the interlocutor of its correctness. At the same time, in no case should there be pressure from the "authority" of a representative of the government, but only qualified argumentation, supported by clear and confident knowledge on the merits of the issue, which, obviously, must be possessed.

Increasing public confidence in the activities of the State Traffic Inspectorate is one of the most important tasks that requires the formation of professional ethics of employees of this department. The system of professional training of Traffic police officers should pay due attention to the ethical aspect, forming the ability of employees to think critically and empathize. This will help not only in their professional activities, but also in their personal lives, contributing to the harmonious development of personality and improving the quality of interaction with society. As part of the further improvement of the professional and ethical training of traffic police officers, it is necessary to develop and use a code of professional ethics that clearly defines the norms of behavior of traffic police officers. Training in the process of conducting official training sessions for Traffic police officers should include trainings, seminars based on ethical dilemmas, practical situations requiring decision-making, and consideration of conflicts of interest. The training should include specific examples and cases that employees may encounter during their service. This will help them better understand the basics of ethical behavior of a traffic police officer. Within the framework of official activities, it is necessary to regularly conduct surveys of employees of the State Traffic Inspectorate in order to obtain timely information on problematic issues of ethical education. It is necessary to develop criteria for monitoring the professional and ethical preparedness of employees of the State Traffic Inspectorate, which should include regular checks of compliance with ethical standards and evaluation of the work of employees with an emphasis on their ethical behavior. It is also necessary to consider the inclusion of independent experts in the ethics formation process who can give an objective assessment of the current situation and propose solutions.