Opportunities for Improving Public Safety in Small Villages

Abstract

The 11% of Hungary’s settlements are cities and towns, the remaining 89% are villages with less than 5,000 inhabitants. The Act CLXXXIX of 2011 on Local Governments in Hungary (Mötv.) mentions the contribution to the public safety of settlements among the tasks of local governments. The fulfilment of this duty is rather mixed nationwide, with most municipalities failing to meet the obligations set by the legislator. The authors’ aim is to provide the reader with a clear picture of the relevant circumstances relating to public safety and security in small settlements. In addition, through the use of good practices applied in the competitive sector to create and maintain security, the authors also outline possible solutions for municipal leaders and law enforcement officers in small municipalities to identify and effectively reduce the risks related to local public security, and also to increase the security awareness and sense of subjective security of the population.