Topchii Y. Administrative and legal aspects of functioning of communal security units (municipal police).

The thesis deals with the theoretical, legal and organizational issues of the Ukrainian communal security units (municipal guard) and their policing activities. The historical stages of the development of municipal policing have been characterized. The system of legal acts stipulating foundation of communal security units (the municipal guard) has been described. The powers of communal security units (the municipal guard) in the sphere of public order have been analysed. Policing units established by the municipalities enforcing public order locally have been proved to be quasi-policing units performing law enforcement alternative to the one that is controlled by the state and that exists in the legal frame. The most widely spread form of municipal policing is a communal security enterprise. On the research of the Articles of Association of the municipal guards and the data from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, Individuals-Entrepreneurs and Public Formations it has been found that municipalities authorize their communal guards to carry out a wide range of economic and legal activities in some cases giving them powers that are not related to law enforcement. Local legal acts (articles of Association, regulations, job descriptions, target decisions, etc.) determine the administrative and legal status of municipal guard differ in volume and legal regulation. European models enforcing public order locally have been analysed along with their genesis and development of organizational forms. Amendments to the legislation regulating law enforcement by the municipalities have been introduced.