Abstract

We implement cluster randomization to test the impact of procedurally just and unjust police behavior during a hypothetical traffic stop (versus procedurally neutral behavior), in addition to the impact of BWC notification (versus BWC absence). The findings from post-vignette surveys administered to a random sample of 750 respondents indicate procedural justice has a pronounced effect on citizens’ perceptions of the officer’s behavior, their attitudes about the encounter, and their general views about police and the law within the context of the vignette. BWC neither improved nor worsened attitudes, nor did it buffer the impact of procedurally unjust policing or enhance the impact of procedurally just policing in the eyes of citizens. Tests of asymmetry indicate procedurally unjust police behavior results in more negative judgments of the officer’s behavior in the vignette than procedurally just behavior results in positive judgments. The results suggest that officer behavior matters much more than BWCs.

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