Perceived police legitimacy in Ghana: The role of procedural fairness and contacts with the police

Abstract

The primary purpose of the present study is to examine the extent to which procedural justice and contacts with police influence people's assessments of their local police in post-colonial societies. Specifically, the study aimed to 1) determine whether favorable perceptions of procedural fairness predict individuals' willingness to accept the police as authority Fig. 2) assess the effects of two types of contacts – police-initiated and citizen-initiated contacts – on people's decision to view the police as legitimate and 3) assess the combine effect of fairness and contact on the likelihood of citizens voluntarily accepting their local police as authority figure in the community. Analyzing data systematically collected from two large metropolitan areas in Ghana, results demonstrate significant effects of procedural fairness and police-initiated contacts on citizens' propensity to consider the police as legitimate. Moreover, results further revealed an interactive effect on police legitimacy in Ghana.