Explaining trust in and willingness to cooperate with police for different age groups

• In Event: Satisfaction with, Trust in, and Cooperation with Police

Abstract

The research aims to explain people’s trust in and willingness to cooperate with the police. Tyler's theory of procedural justice suggests that fair, respectful, impartial treatment of the police is important to affirm their legitimacy and to promote compliance with normative rules and the police by citizens. Using data from the first wave of the nationwide victim survey "Security and Crime in Germany", risk factors for trust in the police are going to be identified. Trust in procedural fairness is treated as a mediator variable to predict the willingness to cooperate. The thesis assumes procedural fairness is perceived more strongly at a young age. This is due to the importance of individual freedom in the transition to adulthood, the possible lack of appreciation as a full member of society as well as changed daily routines, which results in more frequent contacts with police patrols. Therefore, different age groups are considered as a moderator of indirect as well as direct effect sizes. The presentation of the empirical results is concluded by a short discussion of their practical implications for policing youth and young adults.

Author

• Henriette Madita Thiele, Hamburg Police Department