Trust in the police among immigrants: Experiences of Albanians in Iceland

• In Event: Criminology of Mobility. Panel 7. Migrants and asylum seekers as a threat and in the criminal justice system

Abstract

Trust in the police has been a subject of extensive research over the years, with recent attention specifically directed towards the perspectives of immigrants (Murphy and Mazerolle, 2018; Saarikkomäki, 2021). This paper's presentation focuses on the intricate dynamics of immigrants' trust in the police in Iceland, a pivotal facet of policing, especially in the context of burgeoning populations and increasing societal diversity. The findings show a pervasive lack of trust among immigrants, attributed to a dual challenge of over-policing and under-policing. Participants' encounters with the police undermine their confidence in receiving procedural justice, with racial profiling emerging as a disconcerting byproduct of prevailing law enforcement practices. Employing qualitative research methods, this study makes use of in-depth interviews with a number of Albanian participants living in Iceland to shed light on their experiences with the police. This research, while limited in generalizability, provides valuable insights into the nuanced dynamics shaping immigrants' perceptions of the police. The identified issues call for reevaluating policing strategies to rebuild trust and ensure equitable treatment within diverse communities.

Keywords: Police, immigrants, stop and search, over-policing, under-policing, racial profiling, trust.

Authors

• Bryndís Jónsdóttir, student

• Eyrún Eyþórsdóttir, University of Akureyri, Iceland

• Helgi Gunnlaugsson, University of Iceland