In War Time and Peace Time: Attitudes Towards the Police in Ukraine

• In Event: The Link Between Police Legitimacy and Police Effectiveness

Abstract

The way how public views the police is commonly seen as a factor in its effectiveness, especially when it concerns the indicators of police legitimacy and trust. In democratic societies the police is serving the population and should be striving to be seen as carrying the will of the public as opposite to being an external force. Thus, the police legitimacy is essential in cultivation of the public cooperation and resulting police effectiveness.
This article is focusing on external circumstances, specifically the ‘Rally Effect’ of the Russian war against Ukraine which can affect the way how police is perceived by the population. Data from the last decade is used to identify the potential changes in attitudes toward the police and its effectiveness. The results suggest the support for the hypothesis, identifying the active military action context as one of the factors affecting the perceptions of police. The practical policy recommendations dealing with the rally effect minimization over time are also discussed.

Author

• Marianna Klochko, The Ohio State University - Marion Campus