NCJ Number
245283
Journal
Criminology Volume: 51 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2013 Pages: 33-63
Date Published
February 2013
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This article examines both the direct and the indirect outcomes of procedural justice policing, tested under randomized field trial conditions.
Abstract
Exploring the relationship between procedural justice and citizen perceptions of police is a well-trodden pathway. Studies show that when citizens perceive the police acting in a procedurally just mannerby treating people with dignity and respect, and by being fair and neutral in their actionsthey view the police as legitimate and are more likely to comply with directives and cooperate with police. This article examines both the direct and the indirect outcomes of procedural justice policing, tested under randomized field trial conditions. The authors assessed whether police could enhance perceptions of legitimacy during a short, police-initiated and procedurally just traffic encounter and how this single encounter shaped general views of police. The author's results show significant differences between the control and experimental conditions: Procedurally just traffic encounters with police (experimental condition) shape citizen views about the actual encounter directly and general orientations toward the police relative to business-as-usual traffic stops in the control group. The theorized model is supported by the author's research, demonstrating that the police have much to gain from acting fairly during even short encounters with citizens. (Published Abstract)