The invariance thesis in procedural justice policing: An empirical test in the Australian context

Abstract

Maintaining positive perceptions of police legitimacy is necessary for effective policing and police legitimacy is generally argued to be the product of procedural justice and police effectiveness. Research reveals that procedural justice plays a larger role in predicting legitimacy perceptions compared to police effectiveness. Studies also suggest that procedural justice improves legitimacy perceptions to similar extents for all population groups regardless of individual or contextual differences. The present study examines and compares the invariant effects of procedural justice and police effectiveness perceptions on legitimacy perceptions across various individual characteristics in Brisbane. Using citizen responses to the Australian Community Capacity Study survey (n = 4,167), findings show that the effects of procedural justice perceptions on perceptions of police legitimacy are largely invariant across individual differences. The effects of procedural justice perceptions on perceptions of police legitimacy also outweigh the influence of police effectiveness perceptions. However, the influence of police effectiveness perceptions is not invariant, showing that there are groups within the Brisbane population that are more reliant on effective policing than the rest of the population. This suggests that Brisbane police can improve citizens’ perceptions to legitimacy by tailoring policing approaches to demonstrate police effectiveness in crime control and prevention.