Police legitimacy

Police legitimacy is the extent to which members of the public view the police as higher power authority figure, often measured in terms of the public's willingness to obey and cooperate with the police.[1] Police legitimacy is linked to the degree of public support for, and cooperation with, the police's efforts to fight crime.[2] When a police officers ability and authority to effectively complete their job is compromised there is potential for a lack of police legitimacy.[3]

People who experience more procedural justice in police encounters view the police as more legitimate.[4] In contrast, order maintenance policing and widespread street stops appear to reduce police legitimacy among young men.[5][6] An increase in public support and compliance can only be accomplished if fair procedures are implemented. Police legitimacy can be achieved by increasing the public involvement in police proceedings by informing and explaining to them the process of the decisions being made.[7] The public makes judgments regarding the activities of police by evaluating their actions when conducting their duties, therefore, influencing their views about police legitimacy.[2]

  1. ^ Tankebe, Justice (April 2014). Kane, Robert J; Reisig, Michael D (eds.). Police Legitimacy. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199843886.001.0001. ISBN 9780199843886. Retrieved 24 April 2017. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  2. ^ a b Tyler, Tom R. (1 May 2004). "Enhancing Police Legitimacy". The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 593 (1): 84–99. doi:10.1177/0002716203262627. S2CID 146778465.
  3. ^ "Race, Trust and Police Legitimacy". National Institute of Justice. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  4. ^ Kochel, Tammy Rinehart (2012-06-01). "Can Police Legitimacy Promote Collective Efficacy?". Justice Quarterly. 29 (3): 384–419. doi:10.1080/07418825.2011.561805. ISSN 0741-8825. S2CID 144480286.
  5. ^ Gau, Jacinta M.; Brunson, Rod K. (April 2010). "Procedural Justice and Order Maintenance Policing: A Study of Inner-City Young Men's Perceptions of Police Legitimacy". Justice Quarterly. 27 (2): 255–279. doi:10.1080/07418820902763889.
  6. ^ Tyler, Tom R.; Fagan, Jeffrey; Geller, Amanda (December 2014). "Street Stops and Police Legitimacy: Teachable Moments in Young Urban Men's Legal Socialization". Journal of Empirical Legal Studies. 11 (4): 751–785. doi:10.1111/jels.12055. S2CID 10946576.
  7. ^ Harkin, Diarmaid (November 2015). "Police legitimacy, ideology and qualitative methods: A critique of procedural justice theory". Criminology & Criminal Justice. 15 (5): 594–612. doi:10.1177/1748895815580397. ISSN 1748-8958. S2CID 145224509.