Police perceptions of BWCs by type of law enforcement agency: procedural justice, legitimacy, lawfulness, compliance and cooperation
Policing: An International Journal
ISSN: 1363-951X
Article publication date: 30 July 2024
Issue publication date: 6 November 2024
Abstract
Purpose
This study examined whether officers’ perceptions of the effect of BWCs on procedural justice, police lawfulness, police legitimacy, compliance with police and law, and cooperation with police differed by type of law enforcement agency.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected from a survey administered to 152 police officers from State Police, City Police, University Police, and Sheriff’s Office.
Findings
The multivariate analyses found that City Police officers hold significantly more positive perceptions than University Police (on police legitimacy and cooperation with police), State Police (except for police lawfulness, on all other outcomes), and Sheriffs’ Office officers (on procedural justice and police legitimacy). Additionally, Sheriffs’ Office officers hold significantly more positive perceptions than University Police (on police legitimacy, cooperation with police, and compliance with police) and State Police (on police legitimacy, cooperation with police, compliance with police and law). No significant difference was found between University Police and State Police officers.
Originality/value
This is the first study that examines whether officers’ perceptions of the outcomes differ by type of law enforcement agency.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank to the following people for their great support to conduct the study: Levi J. Ritter, Chief of Plattsburgh City Police Department; Brent Davison, Zone Commander at New York State Police; Paul C. Burlingame, Chief of University Police Department at SUNY Albany; Jerry Lottie, former Chief of University Police Department at SUNY Plattsburgh; Patrick Rascoe, Chief of University Police Department at SUNY Plattsburgh; David Favro, Sheriff of Clinton County Sheriff's Office; and all officers working at the departments.
Citation
Demir, M. (2024), "Police perceptions of BWCs by type of law enforcement agency: procedural justice, legitimacy, lawfulness, compliance and cooperation", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 47 No. 6, pp. 1061-1080. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-11-2023-0160
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited