Differential social distance and confidence in the police
| Author | Joongyeup Lee,Hyeyoung Lim,Hoon Lee |
| Published date | 01 September 2015 |
| Date | 01 September 2015 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/1461355715596305 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
Differential social distance
and confidence in the police
Joongyeup Lee
School of Public Affairs, Pennsylvania State University, Middletown, PA, USA
Hyeyoung Lim
Department of Justice Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
Hoon Lee
Department of Police Administration, Chosun University, Gwangjoo, South Korea
Abstract
Despite the emphasis on communityrelations in recent developmentsin policing, the importanceof social distance between
citizensand the police has not been explored.In the current study,we examine the effect of socialdistance on public attitudes
toward the policeusing data from a sample of collegestudents in a mid-sized State university. The findings from path analysis
suggest that students’ familiarity with and interest in the police promote confidence in the police, even when controlling
for variables such as negative contacts and exposure to media coverage of police misconduct. The findings are discussed
in reference to recent policing initiatives that aredesigned to facilitate amicablecitizen–police relationships.
Keywords
Social distance, community policing, confidence in the police, public attitude toward the police
Submitted 02 Mar 2015, accepted 20 Jun 2015
Introduction
In 2014, the United States witnessed a surge of public
protest against police use of excessive force and racial
discrimination. Court decisions to not indict the officer
involved in the shooting of an unarmed young African-
American man in Ferguson, Missouri, or another officer
in connection with the chokehold death of an unarmed
African-American man in New York City were only two
of many monumental incidents. Another noteworthy case
was the brutal murder of two New York police officers by
anAfrican-Americanmanwhoallegedlywantedtotake
vengeance on the police. These incidents drew attention
to the importance of improving (and understanding)
police–community relations.
In a democratic society, a government institution exists
and operates primarily for the well-being of the public.
Public attitude is determined heavily by its capacity and
ultimately determines the legitimacy in its function and
presence. Among various types of government institutions,
the police are unique in that they regulate individual rights
and freedom, and their contact with the public is singularly
large in frequency. For these reasons, the police should
endeavor to maximize a citizen’s satisfaction because
legitimacy is the indispensable basis for their presence (see
Jackson and Bradford, 2009). If the public has high regard
for the police, they are likely to abide by the law and com-
ply with police enforcement (Hinton and Newborn, 2009).
Skogan (2006) pointed out that ‘widespread confidence in
the police makes law enforcement officers’ work easier and
more effective’ (p. 118). By contrast, a lack of public con-
fidence in the police can discourage citizens from
Corresponding author:
Joongyeup Lee, School of Public Affairs, Pennsylvania State University, 777
West Harrisburg Pike, Middletown, PA 17057, USA.
Email: joongyeup@psu.edu
International Journalof
Police Science & Management
2015, Vol. 17(3) 147–154
ªThe Author(s) 2015
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DOI: 10.1177/1461355715596305
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