Public Perceptions of Police Agency Fairness and the Willingness to Call Police

• DOI: 10.1177/02750740211005699
• Author: Melissa S. Morabito,Elias S. Nader,Brenda J. Bond,Kelly M. Socia
• Date: 01 July 2021
• Published date: 01 July 2021
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/02750740211005699

American Review of Public Administration

2021, Vol. 51(5) 360 –373

© The Author(s) 2021

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DOI: 10.1177/02750740211005699

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Article

Policing in the United States remains in crisis, underscored

by both high-profile incidents involving police use of force

and low morale among police officers (Maguire et al., 2017).

As such, rebuilding police–community relationships remains

a significant issue of concern among practitioners and poli-

cymakers (Gill et al., 2014). These relationships underpin

organizational legitimacy, which is at the forefront of mod-

ern American policing reform (see Tyler, 1990).

A precursor to organizational legitimacy is public percep-

tion of police fairness. Negative perceptions of the police

make it harder for officers to engage with community mem-

bers for the co-production of public safety. For example,

Black individuals who perceive the police as unfair are more

suspicious of police interactions with other Black residents

(Hurwitz & Peffley, 2005) and thus may be less willing to

ask the police for help for themselves or others (Baumer,

2002). Therefore, mending police–community relationships

requires a detailed understanding of what influences percep-

tions of police fairness and how this can, in turn, influence

the willingness to contact police for help.

A robust literature details the factors that influence per-

ceptions of police fairness (Brandl & Barlow, 2004;

O’Connor, 2008; Reitzel & Piquero, 2006; Weitzer & Tuch,

2005). This research suggests that such perceptions depend

on a combination of demographic characteristics (e.g.,

Hagan & Albonetti, 1982; Sampson & Bartusch, 1998;

Theobald & Haider-Markel, 2009), previous experiences

with the police (Skogan, 2005; Weitzer & Tuch, 2006; Wiley

& Esbensen, 2016), and perceptions that a police depart-

ment accurately represents the community (Skogan & Frydl,

2004; Weitzer, 2015).

Similarly, research finds that the factors influencing the

willingness to contact the police for help include demo-

graphic characteristics (Baumer, 2002; Bennett & Wiegand,

1994) and personal or vicarious prior experiences with the

police (Brunson, 2007; Rosenbaum et al., 2005). Furthermore,

perceptions of police fairness likely play some role in the

willingness to call police for help. This relationship makes

intuitive sense, as people who do not expect a fair outcome

1005699ARPXXX10.1177/02750740211005699The American Review of Public AdministrationSocia et al.

research-article2021

1University of Massachusetts Lowell, USA

2Suffolk University, Boston, MA, USA

3University of Baltimore, MD, USA

Corresponding Author:

Kelly M. Socia, School of Criminology & Justice Studies, University of

Massachusetts Lowell, HSSB 4th floor, 113 Wilder Street, Lowell, MA

01854, USA.

Email: Kelly_Socia@uml.edu

Public Perceptions of

Police Agency Fairness and the

Willingness to Call Police

Kelly M. Socia1, Melissa S. Morabito1, Brenda J. Bond2, and Elias S. Nader3

Abstract

Police leaders strive to improve interactions and practices relating to residents’ perceptions of police fairness and their

willingness to report crimes. Research suggests that strengthening community perceptions of police fairness may increase

residents’ willingness to contact the police for help. This study uses a nationally representative public opinion survey to

examine the factors that influence perceptions of police fairness and the willingness to call police for help. In doing so, we

examine a variety of demographic factors, prior experiences with the police, and perceptions about whether the local police

agency is racially representative of the community. We find that very few factors influence both perceptions of police fairness

and the willingness to call police for help. Specifically, perceptions of police fairness depend on age, education, and political

leanings, whereas willingness to call police for help depends on perceptions of police fairness, political leanings, perceptions

of police representativeness, and prior proactive police contact. Notably, we found no differences in perceptions of fairness

based on respondent race after controlling for other demographics, perceptions, and experiences. These results indicate that

symbolic representation in police departments is not enough on its own to support positive perceptions of police fairness

and willingness to call the police for help.

Keywords

policing, symbolic representation, community perceptions, police contact, legitimacy