Possibilities for competence development in law enforcement

Abstract

This paper endeavours to examine the trends, possibilities and good practices in competence development in Hungarian law enforcement. In the past decades, competence-based approaches have appeared in law enforcement and, parallel with it, in law enforcement training. Leadership competences in law enforcement have been identified (Malét-Szabó, 2013), and, based on these, a new procedure for leader selection in law enforcement has been created along with the renewal of leader-training. The other major area of competence development, this paper aims to highlight, is the identification of basic competences (Malét-Szabó et al., 2018) as well as the formation of leadership competency profiles and talent competency profiles. A complex competency system has been developed, serving as a basis for the Two-Level Integrated Aptitude Testing System (KLIR). Two important elements of the recently introduced new aptitude system (see Ministry of Interior Decree No. 45/2020 BM) are a competency test supported by the KOMP system, and an individual competence development plan. These inevitably require the continued improvement of the competence-based nature of our training and training system.