A Longitudinal Analysis of Police Legitimacy in South Africa

• In Event: Comparative Perspectives on Police-Community Relations

Abstract

Given the tumultuous history of policing in South Africa, the historic relationship between the police and the public, and the continuous rising crime rates, it is perplexing that little quantitative research has been conducted on legitimacy and the South African police service. The current study assesses police legitimacy in South Africa by analyzing data from a more than three-decade-old public opinion survey. The study has two major objectives: to examine changes in police legitimacy in South Africa since 1981, and to determine factors that cause variations in legitimacy during a given period. Findings indicate that legitimacy of SAPS was highest during the period immediately after apartheid and then dwindled from 1999 onwards. Moreover, race, happiness and education have historically influenced assessment of legitimacy. These findings provide information that could be useful for transforming the SAPS, especially in developing viable strategies to strengthen the police’s relationship with citizens.

Authors

• Francis Danso Boateng, University of Mississippi

• Jihey Yoo Lee, University of Southern California