Public Perceptions of the Procedural Justice of Event and Protest Policing – a Case Study of the Police in Hamburg

• In Event: POLWG Panel 22. Public Order Policing: Public and Police perceptions, pre-protest strategies and the role of social media

Abstract

Cases of police misconduct and violence become more visible through social media and public discourse, especially in context of large-scale operations like policing protest or soccer events. Fair and respectful police behaviour in handling complex operations can have far-reaching effects for police legitimacy and public cooperation in general. Therefore, this research examines how the procedural justice in large-scale operations is perceived in comparison to other police operations by using data of the nation-wide survey "Safety and Crime in Germany" (SKiD) 2024. In addition, regression analysis was used to identify factors that influence the public perception of the procedural justice, such as the political attitude, previous contact with the police, age and the level of education. The findings highlight the necessity for an implementation of a comprehensive communication strategy in event and protest policing concepts to enhance transparency and improve the perception of the procedural justice in order to ensure police legitimacy. A comprehensive strategy can imply the use of specialized dialogue teams as well as emphasizing the importance of verbal and nonverbal communication regarding to all police officer and units involved in large-scale operations. Principles of community policing can provide a useful foundation for developing fair and effective policing strategies in large-scale operations.

Authors

• Ella Elena May, Hamburg Police Department

• Judith Hauber, Hamburg Police Department

• Henriette Madita Thiele, Hamburg Police Department