Organizational Legitimacy as a Mechanism of Police Legitimacy: Combining Research and Practice

• In Event: Police Organizational Legitimacy, Fairness, and Recruitment

Abstract

This paper will discuss the link between organizational legitimacy, or the "congruence between the social values associated with or implied by [organizational] activities and the norms of acceptable behavior in the larger social system of which they are a part" (Dowling, 1975), and the oft-discussed concept of police legitimacy, or the synergistic relationship between efficacy of law enforcement and public support for police. The authors, using a mixed-methods approach, assessed police practitioners’ perceptions regarding policies, procedures, strategies, and training within their agencies, and conducted a content analysis of agency reports of best practices impacting internal and external legitimacy. Furthermore, the authors examined metrics that can be used to measure police effectiveness, procedural justice, and organizational justice. This presentation will summarize findings and offer recommendations.

Authors

• Charles Lieberman, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Nicole N. Hanson, John Jay College of Criminal Justice