Interacting Citizens’ Perceptions About the Police During Encounters

• In Event: Police Encounters: Examining Attitudes, Experiences, and Consequences

Abstract

This study extends the literature on citizens’ attitudes toward the police by focusing on the citizens who interacted with the police during encounters. While prior research has examined the effects of prior contacts with the police on citizens’ general perceptions about the police, knowledge is limited about how immediate interactions with the police would affect citizens’ evaluations of the officers during the encounters and their general views about the police. Using data collected from a sample of 221 citizens who interacted with the police in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, this study examines the factors associated with procedural justice during the encounter, satisfaction with the police, and general confidence in the police. Implications for law enforcement policy and for understanding citizen engagement in the coproduction of police outputs are discussed.

Authors

• Yaning Yue, University of Massachusetts

• Mengyan Dai, Old Dominion University