Peculiarities of the patrol police unit head’s job to ensure public safety and order during military operations

The rapid, full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia has left the country’s defence and security forces, such as the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Police of Ukraine, and the National Guard of Ukraine, in a state of focus, resilience, and need for clear leadership. Leaders have a key role to play in preventing staff from becoming deadapted and disoriented. They must ensure that the effort organisation is structured in such a way that positive results are achieved, and losses are minimised. The research aims to study the views and opinions of scholars and practitioners on the state of the managerial and organisational potential of heads of patrol police units whose main task is to ensure public safety and order. The study used scientific and empirical methods, in particular, the synergistic approach, graphical, comparison, analysis and synthesis, and questionnaires, based on which reasonable conclusions were drawn. Following the results obtained: the conclusion regarding gaps in the procedure for interaction between patrol police officers and some law enforcement agencies and the lack of special training for actions in extreme conditions were deducted. It is established that patrol police officers are guided by a sense of national patriotism, which is formed through persuasion, moral support, and the example of their superiors. The areas of cyber hygiene, first aid training and handling explosive devices are lacking. The analysis of the reports of the heads of the services showed a positive trend in reducing the number of offences and deaths on the country’s roads. The practical value of this study is that it is in demand, as it reveals the actual problematic issues of the professional competence of a patrol police officer who is involved every day in ensuring public safety and order in different regions of the country with atypical levels of threats and dangers. It is the basis for further scientific study and solution of problematic aspects of patrol police service in the context of martial law and active hostilities by the aggressor country