Maintaining police-citizen relations on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic

Ralph, Liam; Jones, Matthew L.; Rowe, Michael; Millie, Andrew

doi:10.1080/10439463.2022.2091565

Cited by 13 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…For example, in the United Kingdom, over one million people volunteered to help in responding to the pandemic in various capacities which included engaging in tasks as simple as checking on people's wellbeing during the lockdown, distributing palliatives, and educating community members on how to stay safe ( Butler, 2020 ). Also, in a qualitative study examining police officers’ use of social media in engaging the public during the COVID-19 lockdown, Ralph et al (2022) reported how police in England utilised official, semi-official and unofficial police social media accounts to engage the public.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pandemic Policing and Community Engagement: Preparedness, Legitimacy and Public Support During the COVID-19 Crisis in Nigeria

Aborisade

Adeleke

2022

Criminal Justice Review

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This study brings to the fore, insights into three key factors that had been widely noted to play significant roles in driving effective pandemic policing. These are the preparedness of the police as first responders to a public health crisis, the level of public trust in the police as a legitimate power holder, and community engagement as a tool to drive public support and participation in fighting COVID-19. Using the Nigeria police as a case study, with the damning reports of abuse of power and other misconduct, this study examined how the police responded to COVID-19 mandates and community participation. Interviews with 40 police officers who enforced the COVID-19 lockdown, 16 senior police officers, and 18 community leaders within Lagos and Ogun states were conducted, and a thematic analysis of the narratives was carried out. Findings indicated that community engagement was not effectively deployed by the Nigerian police in the course of pandemic policing. This was due to a lack of police preparedness, over-reliance on the use of force for public control, public distrust in the police, and a lack of prior practice of community engagement by the police. Public distrust in the police was found to be central to peoples’ disobedience to COVID-19 rules which worsened police-community relations, culminating in protests against the police and its formations. These findings have important policy and practical implications if police legitimacy and post-COVID police-community relations are to improve.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pandemic Policing and Community Engagement: Preparedness, Legitimacy and Public Support During the COVID-19 Crisis in Nigeria

Aborisade

Adeleke

2022

Criminal Justice Review

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“…Within the organisation, officers have been told to avoid talking about sensitive and contentious topics and to instead take a measured approach (Crump, 2011;Melekain and Wexler, 2013). This can further be seen in relation to a study conducted by Ralph et al (2022) on police use of social media in England during the Covid-19 pandemic. The researchers found that at the beginning of the pandemic, the police played a key role in relation to divulging information on how to keep safe and within the law.…”

Section: Principle 1: Effectivenessmentioning

confidence: 73%

“…One perspective is that social media have made the police more accessible to a greater number of citizens who can, in theory, be located across geographies (Ralph, 2022). Along these lines, the police would be able to speak with hard-to-reach groups and those who otherwise would not pick up a daily newspaper or attend a local police community meeting (Ralph et al, 2022). In this vein, Wood (2020) notes that the use of humorous memes by the New South Wales Police in Australia was intended to both expand and increase their following.…”

Section: Principle 3: Accessibilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent research suggests that police communication on social media is becoming increasingly corporate in its approach, and that those using social media accounts are being encouraged to share content that will bolster the police image among citizens. Ralph et al (2022) found that the police attempt to carefully manage this process online by talking exclusively about subject matter that will invoke a positive response, and that they further avoid talking about anything that may lead to criticism of the police. Further studies have revealed police presentational strategies on social media in relation to using gifs, memes (Wood, 2020), humour (Wood and McGovern, 2021) and visual content more broadly (M Jones et al, in press).…”

Section: Principle 4: Accountabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessing police social media practices through a democratic policing lens

Ralph,

Robinson

2023

International Journal of Police Science & Management

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Academic interest in police use of social media has proliferated in the past decade. Much of this research has centred on police adaptations of social media. Yet, little is known about what these practices signify from a democratic policing outlook. This is despite the fact that there has been considerable debate on the extent to which the internet has democratised government and public institutions more broadly. Accordingly, existing evidence relating to police use of social media was assessed with close reference to Marenin’s six principles (Marenin O (1998) The goal of democracy in international police assistance programmes. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management 21(1): 159–177). In doing so, we put forward two original contributions. First, true democratic policing online is being thwarted by both the ways in which social media is organised within police organisations and the nature of social media more broadly. Second, although Marenin's model provides a useful starting point for analysing police social media practices, greater attention must be afforded to police and citizens’ readiness to engage with each other online.

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“…The research was conducted before the Covid-19 pandemic when police roles changed in line with government guidelines (e.g. Ralph et al, 2022). It was also before major changes to police training in England and Wales with the introduction of the Police Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF) as dictated centrally by the College of Policing as part of a professionalisation agenda (College of Policing, 2016Policing, , 2020.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Police recruits, moral judgements and an empathetic policing

Millie

Hirschler

2023

Criminology & Criminal Justice

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In this article, we consider the moral judgements of new recruits to the police by drawing on two stages of semi-structured interviews with recruits over their first 6 months working for Lancashire Constabulary in England. The article contributes to the literature by providing insights into the moral thinking of police officers at the very early stages of their career. The discussion is supported by relevant criminological and philosophical literature as appropriate. Evidence is presented that there is more to the recruits’ moral judgements than a simple reflection of codified standards of behaviour as taught in police training. Their experiences reflect greater complexity than straightforward socialisation into existing cultures. The recruits emphasise an inclusive empathy and greater compassion for others – often irrespective of what those others have done. An empathetic policing is suggested that could challenge assumed dominant cultures and may be a way to encourage greater engagement with the moral value of police action and inaction.

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Maintaining police-citizen relations on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 13 publications

References 34 publications

Pandemic Policing and Community Engagement: Preparedness, Legitimacy and Public Support During the COVID-19 Crisis in Nigeria

Pandemic Policing and Community Engagement: Preparedness, Legitimacy and Public Support During the COVID-19 Crisis in Nigeria

Assessing police social media practices through a democratic policing lens

Police recruits, moral judgements and an empathetic policing

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