The dissertation is a theoretical and experimental study of the problem of formation of professional competence of future investigators in the process of professional training.
Based on the study of regulatory documents governing the professional activities of the investigator, it was found that the investigator is an official of the National Police of Ukraine, authorized to conduct pre-trial investigation of criminal offenses, search for perpetrators and bring them to justice. The basis of the investigator’s professional activity is investigative (detective) actions aimed at solving crimes: inspection of the scene, interrogation, search, identification, investigative experiment. In carrying out investigative (detective) actions, the investigator performs search and cognitive, reconstructive, communicative, certifying, organizational and social functions, which together ensure the pre-trial investigation of crimes, the adoption of lawful and impartial procedural decisions.
The analysis of investigative practice, organization and results of the investigator’ activities shows that it is characterized by extreme: Personal responsibility for decisios, long and intense phychological (mental, emotional, etc.) and physical stresses; conflict, stressful nature of activity; a large number of contacts with people who have are in difficult (crisis) life situations; interaction with persons who committed a crime, the need for constant self-control when communicating with people, conducting investigative actions in situations of countering the investigation, etc. It is established that the performance of professional duties by an investigator in such difficult conditions requires the formation of certain personal qualities (intellectual, moral, emotional and volitional, and communicative), as well as mastery of professional skills and procedural skills which ensure a promt, complete and impartial investigation of criminal offenses.
Given the results of the scientific analysis, in the context of the study, the professional competence of an investigator is defined as an integrative characteristic of a specialist which combines a set of professional knowledge, skills and abilities in the field of law, experience of their application and personal qualities which, in aggregate contribute to the effective solution of the tasks of pre-trial investigation of criminal offenses, ensuring law and order, combating crime and protection of rights and legitimate interests of citizens.
Based on the results of the analysis of scientific literature in the field of professional training of law enforcement and legal professionals, the author clarifies the content of the structural components of the professional competence of future investigators, namely knowledge and professional (reflects the system of legal, special-professional, socio-psychological knowledge), motivational and value (characterizes the attitude to the chosen profession, the formation of professional motivation, the desire to master the profession, attitudes, professional interest and stable motives for professional activity), personal (characterizes the personality of the investigator as a specialist, the formation of professionally important qualities and communicative competence), professional activity (reflects the possession of professional and communication skills and abilities).
In order to scientifically study and determine the formation of professional competence of future investigators, the following criteria were identified: cognitive (reflects the systematic nature of legal, special professional and socio-psychological knowledge), personal and professional (characterizes the personality of the investigator as a future specialist, namely, the formation of motivation for professional activity and professionally important qualities) professional-operational (characterizes the formation of professional and communication skills of the investigator), which allow to identify the formation of the relevant components of professional competence and high (creative), medium (sufficient), low (reproductive) formation of the studied phenomenon.
It is proved that the formation of professional competence of future investigators requires the creation of certain pedagogical conditions in the educational process of a higher education institution with specific learning conditions.
The study theoretically substantiates, the pedagogical conditions, the implementation of which was aimed at formation of professional competence of future investigators. The first pedagogical condition - integration of legal, socio-psychological and special professional knowledge to ensure their effective application in the professional activities of an investigator - involved supplementing the content of legal, special professional and socio-psychological disciplines with topics and educational issues that promote interdisciplinary integration of knowledge.
