SECURITY SERVICES EMPLOYEES AND ELECTRONIC BLACKMAIL INSTITUTIONS

A STUDY OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR

Abstract

The study aimed to reveal the reasons behind why policemen are exposed to electronic blackmail and to identify the goals and reasons behind blackmailing policemen, as well as identifying the reasons behind why policemen resort to social networking sites as an alternative to official regulatory authorities and addressing these reasons. To achieve the study objectives, a questionnaire was designed and constructed in light of the literature related to the subject of the research and the opinions of specialists and experts. The descriptive analytical approach was used, as the research community consisted of officers, associates, and civilian employees at the headquarters of the Ministry of Interior in the capital, Baghdad, and the research sample consisted of (300) respondents in total. The study results showed that the category of officers is the category most vulnerable to blackmail since they have the potentials to achieve the goals of the blackmailer, and the lack of familiarity of most policemen with the legal tools that criminalize blackmail due to their lack of sufficient training to confront this threat.  In general, the financial motive behind committing this type of crime was despite there are other functional and personal motives including the policeman’s fear of being accused of blackmail and the weakness of official procedures may cause a number of policemen to refrain from reporting cases of blackmail to which they are exposed. The study also revealed the presence of psychological, social, and functional effects to which the victims of policemen were exposed.  The research has recommended the necessity of adopting its findings regarding the reasons for police officers being exposed to electronic blackmail and urging the ministry’s undersecretary for administrative and financial affairs to direct all parts and departments of the ministry to conduct an investigation into the reasons for the resignation or dismissal from the position or responsibility provided by the police officer, in addition to directing the legal departments in the ministry calls for the necessity of verifying the identity of the complainant before commencing the investigation, providing legal protection for the policeman to ensure that he is informed of blackmail cases.