Enhancing police legitimacy by integrating Compstat and community policing

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to examine how Compstat and community policing, two of the most highly‐touted police reforms to have emerged in the US over the last 25 years, might be integrated to help enhance police organizational legitimacy.Design/methodology/approachThe article provides a conceptual framework to illuminate the different ways that each of these reforms, at least in theory, tries to promote legitimacy. In doing so, it proposes that Compstat's focus on outcomes might be more tightly linked to community policing's emphasis on the processes through which police interact with community members.FindingsThe article suggests three possible ways for police organizations to develop public trust and support: systematic reporting of community problems at Compstat meetings; involving the community in problem‐solving efforts; and using Compstat maps and statistics to help mitigate perceptions of unfairness.Research limitations/implicationsThe article highlights the value of alternative conceptualizations for co‐implementing Compstat and community policing and the need for testing these ideas.Practical implicationsIdentifying some different ways that Compstat and community policing may help foster favorable social judgments of police organizations could lead law enforcement agencies to reconsider how these reforms are currently co‐implemented in their departments.Social implicationsA more integrated Compstat and community policing model could potentially contribute to fairer and more responsive policing practices.Originality/valueThe paper is valuable to scholars, practitioners, and policymakers because it lays out a framework for understanding the legitimacy‐conferring benefits of these reforms and provides some practical suggestions for how they might be more closely linked.