Public cooperation with police in Detroit: a testing of three perspectives

Abstract

PurposeWhile public support for and cooperation with the police has been deemed vital for police effectiveness, what shapes such support and cooperation has not been fully examined. The purpose of this study is to explore three perspectives on public cooperation with police simultaneously: (1) police legitimacy, (2) legal cynicism, and (3) neighborhood norms.Design/methodology/approachThe data used in this study came from a survey conducted with 408 residents across three neighborhoods in Detroit, Michigan, in 2009. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was used to assess the relationship between the three groups of theory-based predictors, representing police legitimacy, legal cynicism, and neighborhood norms, and the dependent variable of cooperation.FindingsThe findings partially support the legitimacy model, as trust in police, but not perceived obligation to obey, predicts cooperation with police. This study provides strong support for the legal cynicism and neighborhood norms perspectives. Specifically, residents who have higher levels of legal cynicism and who report a stronger anti-snitch neighborhood subculture report being less inclined to cooperate with the police.Originality/valueThis study is the first to compare the relative influences of three major perspectives on public cooperation. Future studies should continue to analyze competing theories in explaining public cooperation with the police and determine if findings from this study are applicable to locations outside Detroit.

Cooperation with the police: a path analysis of residents in two Arab American-concentrated cities

“…(2021) are based on samples from China, a social and cultural context very different from that of the United States. This finding however echoes what Khatchatourian et al . (2022) revealed that perception of neighborhood informal social control (a key dimension of collective efficacy) does not predict cooperation after controlling for trust in police and felt obligation to obey the police.…”

“…This finding however echoes what Khatchatourian et al (2022) revealed that perception of neighborhood informal social control (a key dimension of collective efficacy) does not predict cooperation after controlling for trust in police and felt obligation to obey the police. Khatchatourian et al (2022) draw upon data from the city of Detroit and include an array of predictors that this study does not examine due to a lack of measures, such as perception of police legitimacy, legal cynicism, neighborhood anti-snitch culture, contact with police and fear of crime. Our similar findings nonetheless suggest that perceived direct informal social control does not necessarily translate to a willingness to exercise indirect informal social control by reporting crime or providing crime tips to the police.…”

“…(2022) revealed that perception of neighborhood informal social control (a key dimension of collective efficacy) does not predict cooperation after controlling for trust in police and felt obligation to obey the police. Khatchatourian et al . (2022) draw upon data from the city of Detroit and include an array of predictors that this study does not examine due to a lack of measures, such as perception of police legitimacy, legal cynicism, neighborhood anti-snitch culture, contact with police and fear of crime.…”

“…This concentration on policing variables is understandable as the dialectical relationships between the police and the public determine that people's orientations toward the police relate closely to the way that the police treat them. Nonetheless, factors beyond police actions and behaviors can shape cooperation tendencies (Jackson et al ., 2012; Khatchatourian et al ., 2022; Kochel, 2018; Nix et al ., 2015; Papp et al ., 2019). A nascent literature examines the effects of neighborhood context on willingness to cooperate, revealing significant factors such as perceived neighborhood collective efficacy and disorder (Kochel, 2018; Liu et al ., 2020; Wehrman and De Angelis, 2011).…”

Willingness to cooperate with police in hate crime cases: the impact of police legitimacy, police encounters and race/ethnicity

“…Factors associated with willingness to cooperate with police Scholars have attempted to examine the factors associated with willingness to cooperate with police. Although not all agree, they have identified a variety of factors, including police legitimacy (Tyler, 1990(Tyler, , 2001Murphy et al, 2008;Khatchatourian et al, 2022;Sunshine and Tyler, 2003), contact experience with police (Tyler and Fagan, 2008;Schuck et al, 2008) and sociodemographic factors including age, gender and race/ethnicity.…”