THE ROLE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT INSTITUTIONS IN PREVENTING AND COMBATING THE CRIME OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The subject of this study is the characteristics of Polish law enforcement authorities in the fi eld of preventing and combating the crime of traffi cking in human beings. The author points out that, based on existing legal regulations in Poland, the foremost burden related to prevention and prosecution activities of this type of crime lies within the scope of duties of the prosecutor’s offi ce, the Police, and the Border Guard. Thus, the article is devoted to a concise description of the indicated entities in terms of their legal instruments which make it possible to effectively implement the tasks and duties imposed by law and regulations upon the institutions. In the author’s assessment, the key role in the system is played by the prosecutor, who is the only authority sanctioned to make decisions on initiating the investigation and entrusting its conduct in its entirety or the indicated scope to other authorities, primarily the Police or the Border Guard. The prosecutor’s special role also results from the fact of being solely entitled to draw up and support an indictment in court in cases involving traffi cking in human beings. Nevertheless, according to the author, in practice, the main responsibility to carry out procedural and operational activities in this category of cases lies with the Police and Border Guard. The author points out that, at present, the Polish law enforcement system has appropriate instruments, both at the legal and institutional levels, ready for the effective prevention of and combat against crimes of human traffi cking. However, bearing in mind that the phenomenon of human traffi cking has, in principle, a cross-border dimension, the article highlights the aspect of international cooperation between the relevant institutions established to detect and prosecute these crimes.