Self-legitimacy of Police Officers and Community Policing in Slovenia

• In Event: POL Panel 13. Rural and Community Policing

Abstract

Police officers' legitimacy is an essential precondition for successfully implementing community policing strategies that aim to improve police-community relations. Drawing on the data from a survey of 1,022 Slovenian police officers conducted at 24 police stations in 2022, this study examined the correlates of police officers' self-legitimacy and their support for community policing. Multivariate analyses showed that relations with colleagues, audience legitimacy, and gender influence the self-legitimacy of police officers. In turn, police officers' positive perception of their own legitimacy, relations with colleagues, pro-organisational behaviour, gender, and age influenced their support for community policing. Results showed that »core variables« in the form of good relations with colleagues and audience legitimacy have a positive impact on police officers' self-legitimacy in Slovenia. Moreover, the findings highlighted the importance of self-legitimacy in police officers' support for community policing.

Authors

• Gorazd Meško, University of Maribor

• Rok Hacin, University of Maribor