This thesis tries to define and analyze the conception of lawfulness protection and basing oneself on law, the conception of social efficiency of law and the influence of these categories over the police. It tries to define the conception of the police activity. The activity of police as a State institution in the field of lawfulness protection is analyzed. The conclusion is drawn in the thesis that the police activity is its social activities the main point of which is to ensure the public security and public order by basing oneself on law and protect rights and freedoms of society members against dangerous encroachments. From the point of view of the social efficiency of law, the police activity must serve the social purpose of law in order not to sap the faith of society members in the main social values. Police is one of three principal State institutions carrying out the lawfulness protection the activity of which is regulated by the democratic State by corresponding legal acts the application of which is controlled. At the same time, it is a social organization empowered to apply the measures of extortion to a person who has committed the infringement of law. It is the part of society influenced by it and accountable to it. Therefore, the society demands that the police should base itself in its activity solely on law and protect successfully the lawfulness by realizing its functions. In order to realize tasks given to it by the society, each police institution must... [to full text]