Who Watches the Watchmen?: Assessing the Prevalence and Correlates of Copwatching in the United States

• In Event: Police Misconduct and Accountability

Abstract

"Copwatching" refers to public recording of police as a form of accountability. A number of citizen recordings of law enforcement have gained prominence in recent years, capturing instances of police-citizen encounters both shocking to the public conscience and at times criminal (i.e. the killing of George Floyd). Despite the attention that these videos have garnered, relatively little is known about the pervasiveness of, or correlates of, engaging in copwatching. The current study seeks to understand (1) the prevalence of copwatching activity among the general public, (2) the factors contributing to this behavior, and (3) individual intentions to do so in the future. To address these topics, the study draws from key concepts in the legal socialization (legitimacy, cynicism) and opportunity literatures, and uses a national sample of American adults. Implications for theory and policy will be discussed.

Authors

• Megan M. Parry, University of Rhode Island

• Richard K. Moule Jr., University of South Florida