Examining the Links between Perceptions of Neighborhood Disorder, Procedural Justice, and Police Legitimacy

• In Event: Crime and Place: Examining the Formation and Impact of Disorder Perceptions

Abstract

Recent research has found strong support for a normative, process-based framework for generating police legitimacy, whereby fair treatment of citizens by officers (procedural justice) leads to more positive views of the police, and ultimately, to enhanced citizen cooperation and compliance. However, scholars note that there are alternative mechanisms for improving police legitimacy, including perceptions of police performance. We seek to extend this line of inquiry by exploring whether perceptions of legitimacy can be influenced by a neighborhood’s level of disorder – arguably a rough proxy for police performance. Plausibly, the absence of disorder signals to residents the efficacy of the police in handling crime and other neighborhood problems. Alternatively, perceptions of disorder problems may diminish citizens’ views of police legitimacy. To evaluate this relationship, we use data from the Seattle Neighborhoods and Crime Survey, and apply hierarchical multinomial logistic regression models (with random intercepts) to predict police legitimacy. Results show that higher perceptions of disorder among citizens are related to lower perceptions of police legitimacy, net of controls for procedural justice and socio-demographic variables. The findings have important implications for the police, particularly given the increasing value placed on legitimacy and its relationship to improved citizen compliance and cooperation.

Authors

• Danielle Wallace, Arizona State University

• Michael D. White, Arizona State University