NCJ Number
212248
Journal
Theoretical Criminology Volume: 9 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2005 Pages: 443-470
Date Published
2005
Length
28 pages
Annotation
This article examines how to provide a better appreciation of the factors that undermine public trust in the police and asks how trust in police can be produced and sustained.
Abstract
Public trust in the police can enhance police effectiveness and the legitimacy of police actions, and is therefore linked to the capacity of police to provide basic citizen security. However, due to its highly contingent character in most social relations, trust is fragile and should not be taken for granted. This article examines how governments can have a better appreciation of the factors that undermine public trust in the police and asks how trust in the police can be produced and sustained. The article begins with a discussion of the nature of trust and looks at citizens’ distrust in government and the interplay of trust and civil society. Next, the author examines the different reasons for why citizens do not trust the police. These include excessive use of force, brutality, intimidation, inconsistency, and discrimination. This is followed by a discussion on how to rebuild the public’s trust in the police. Suggestions include: acting fairly, transparently, and respectfully; limiting the use of force; bringing in third parties to mediate public-police disputes; mobilizing and institutionalizing distrust in positive ways; making sure that trust-building occurs at the local level; and working to make and keep a strong civil society. The author notes that establishing trustworthy police forces is the key challenge for policing reformers in low-trust settings, and that for many reasons, trustworthy police forces are difficult to maintain, and even harder to establish from scratch. Notes, references