Hispanics’ perceived procedural justice, legitimacy, and willingness to cooperate with the police

Abstract

While some research has examined differences in perceptions of police among minorities and Whites, most of this research has focused on race rather than ethnicity. The dearth of research on ethnic minorities’ perceptions of police is striking given recent increases in the number of ethnic minorities in the U.S., particularly Hispanics. Some research suggests that Hispanics have more negative views of the police than Whites. The present study compares perceptions of police among Hispanic and White respondents. I focus specifically on perceptions of procedural justice and police legitimacy, as well as the impact of these perceptions on willingness to cooperate with police. Analysis of data from a sample of arrestees in Arizona (n = 1549) reveals no significant differences in perceptions of procedural justice and police legitimacy between Hispanic and White respondents. Procedural justice has a significant, positive effect on legitimacy, but the operationalization of legitimacy was found to have significant implications.