The Consequences of Being an Object of Suspicion: Potential Pitfalls of Proactive Police Contact

Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, Forthcoming

39 Pages Posted: 20 Jun 2015

See all articles by Tom Tyler

Tom Tyler

Yale University - Law School

Jonathan Jackson

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) - Department of Methodology

Avital Mentovich

University of Haifa; University of Haifa, School of Criminology

Date Written: June 18, 2015

Abstract

During the latter half of the 20th century American policing became more professional (Skogan & Frydl, 2004) and the rate of violent crime declined dramatically (Blumstein & Wallman, 2000). Yet public trust and confidence in the police increased at best marginally and there has been a large and continuing racial gap in police legitimacy. This article reviews changes in police policy and practice to explore the reasons for this seeming paradox. It is argued that a new model of proactive police stops has increased both the frequency of and the range of police contact with people in the community. Such police contact need not inherently undermine public trust in the police, but the style of such contact, through which the police communicate suspicion of ongoing or future criminal contact and seek to prevent it via the threat or use of coercion has not increased trust. This paper examines how such policies developed and why they are problematic. The result of a survey of Americans shows that perceived suspicion damages the social bonds between the police and the community and undermines trust in the police. It concludes by arguing that police contact need not be inherently negative and contact in which the police use fair procedures can addresses issues of crime and disorder while building trust and confidence.

Keywords: legitimacy, procedural justice, policing, trust

JEL Classification: K40, K41

Suggested Citation

Tyler, Tom and Jackson, Jonathan and Mentovich, Avital and Mentovich, Avital, The Consequences of Being an Object of Suspicion: Potential Pitfalls of Proactive Police Contact (June 18, 2015). Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2620289

Tom Tyler (Contact Author)

Yale University - Law School ( email )

P.O. Box 208215
New Haven, CT 06520-8215
United States

Jonathan Jackson

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) - Department of Methodology ( email )

Houghton Street
London, WC2A 2AE
United Kingdom
+0044-207-955-7652 (Phone)

Avital Mentovich

University of Haifa, School of Criminology ( email )

Mount Carmel
Haifa, 31905
Israel

University of Haifa ( email )

Mount Carmel
Haifa, 31905
Israel

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