The role of police stations in waste management: challenges and opportunities for cross-sector cooperation

Abstract

Introduction

Efficient waste management is one of the biggest challenges in the modern urban environment. Rapid population growth and urbanisation have led to increased waste generation, which puts additional pressure on the systems responsible for collection, sorting and disposal. Activities such as waste collection, transport, sorting and disposal reflect the level of social awareness of environmental protection and sustainable development. However, waste management does not depend solely on municipal services, but requires co-operation between different institutions, including the police. The police plays an important role in monitoring and enforcing waste management laws, especially in detecting irregularities, combating illegal waste disposal and reporting offences to the relevant authorities. This function of the police is often neglected in discussions about sustainable waste management. The question therefore arises: to what extent do police forces participate effectively in the waste management system and is there cross-sectoral co-operation or does a lack of cooperation prevail?

The aim of this research was to analyse the role of the VI Police Station Zagreb in the waste management system, to investigate the degree of cooperation with other relevant institutions and to determine the views of police officers on their role in this system.

Methods

A structured questionnaire was used for the research, which was distributed via the online platform Google Forms. The target group were police officers from VI Police Station Zagreb. The sample consisted of 93 respondents out of a total of 140 employees. The questionnaire consisted of 18 open and closed questions. The survey was conducted in the period from 21 May to 12 June 2024.

The study tested four hypotheses:

- H1: The police officers of the VI Police Department play a key role in the implementation of the Waste Management Act.

- H2: There is insufficient cooperation between the police and other institutions involved in the waste management system.

- H3: Citizens are not sufficiently trained to participate effectively in waste management.

- H4: The effectiveness of waste management can be improved by a clearer definition of the tasks of the police.

Discussion

The results of the survey highlight several key aspects of the role of police officers in waste management. The majority of respondents (83%) were familiar with the concept of waste management, indicating a basic awareness of the issue. In addition, 79% of respondents believe that good waste management significantly affects the quality of life of citizens. In terms of direct experience with waste issues, 70% of respondents stated that they had encountered problems related to waste management during their assignments. These encounters were most common once a month (73%), although a significant number of police officers (13%) reported more frequent cases (several times a month), while 12% of respondents were confronted with this problem several times a week. The most common reasons citizens reported to the police included unpleasant odors, fires caused by burning waste, water, soil and air pollution and illegal waste disposal. Illegal waste disposal was cited as the most common problem, especially in neglected areas, forests, meadows and on private and urban land. It is also interesting to note that 72% of respondents found offences or crimes related to waste management during their operations, while 28% found no irregularities. After detecting offences, police officers generally reported them to the relevant authorities. Despite these activities, the findings highlight weak cross-sectoral cooperation. For example, in 2022, the municipal police only responded 12 times out of 82 requested interventions, while in 2023 the municipal police responded 9 times out of 45 interventions. This discrepancy indicates insufficient coordination between the police and municipal services. The investigation also revealed that citizens are not sufficiently educated about proper waste disposal. Police officers believe that educating citizens, starting at an early age, could significantly contribute to reducing the problem of illegal waste disposal. Based on the data collected, it can be concluded that a better definition of the roles and responsibilities of the police in the waste management system and increased cross-sectoral co-operation could significantly improve the efficiency of the system.

Conclusion

The study confirms all four hypotheses:

1. The police officers of the VI Police Station play a key role in the implementation of the Waste Management Act, which is confirmed by the number of violations and offences detected.
2. Co-operation between the police and other institutions is insufficient, which makes effective waste management difficult.
3. Citizens are not sufficiently informed about proper waste management, which leads to an increase in irregularities.
4. A clearer definition of tasks and an expansion of police powers could significantly improve the efficiency of the waste management system.

The results of this study show that there is a need to strengthen cross-sector co-operation and educate citizens in order to create a more efficient and sustainable waste management system. The police, as a key stakeholder in this system, can play a key role in preventing and combating illegal waste disposal, but only with good co-operation with other relevant institutions.