Police Legitimacy in Action: Lessons for Theory and Practice (original) (raw)

Police require legitimacy to operate effectively and ethically, as public perception of legitimacy influences cooperation and law compliance. This essay explores the foundations of police legitimacy, focusing on how it is established and maintained from the perspective of the public. It examines the implications of empirical evidence for policing policies and highlights the broader social dynamics impacting legitimacy perceptions. The study calls for a deeper understanding of legitimacy beyond existing frameworks to inform theory and practice in the field of policing.