“A field experiment on community policing and police legitimacy”

Kyle Peyton - Department of Political Science, Yale University; Institution for Social and Policy Studies, Yale University
Michael Sierra-Arévalo - School of Criminal Justice, Rutgers University
David G. Rand - Sloan School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Despite declining crime rates over the decades, tensions between police and the public remain, complicating effective policing and public safety.
Policymakers promote Community-Oriented Policing (COP) emphasizing nonenforcement public interactions to build trust and enhance police legitimacy.
Primary Question: Do positive, nonenforcement interactions with uniformed patrol officers meaningfully improve police attitudes?
Study: Randomized field experiment in New Haven, CT.
Findings: Positive contact significantly improved public attitudes toward police, notably among individuals initially skeptical of police. Effects persisted for up to 21 days.

Context: National unrest post-Michael Brown's death (2014) highlighted a need for trust and legitimacy in policing.
Definition of Legitimacy: The belief in the authority of an individual, group, or institution to dictate behavior and demand cooperation. Critical for police effectiveness.
Consequences of Lack of Legitimacy: Diminished public contact and cooperation with police, escalating confrontations and mutual disdain.
Community-Oriented Policing: A proactive approach aiming to rebuild relationships through cooperative, nonenforcement actions—community meetings, neighborhood watches—all aimed to mitigate aggressive enforcement practices.

Previous research often lacked random assignments to assess the impact of police-public contacts on attitudes. Existing studies typically used observational or aggregate data analysis.
Current Study Aim: To rigorously assess the causal impact of brief positive police interactions on public attitudes towards law enforcement, particularly in minority communities historically fraught with distrust.

Field experiment involved uniformed patrol officers conducting random nonenforcement visits across New Haven’s police districts.
Implementation Details:
- Officers knocked on doors, introduced themselves, and assured residents there were no issues.
- Interactions encouraged informal conversations (about 10 minutes) using strategies promoting positive intergroup relations, aiming to alleviate initial suspicion.
- Officers concluded interactions by providing personal contact cards to residents.

Sample Selection: Initially contacted 49,757 registered voters, achieving participation from 2,013 individuals.
Random assignment resulted in 926 households receiving treatment and 926 as control.
Follow-ups: Conducted online surveys at 3 days and 21 days post-intervention.
- N = 1,484 for 3-day follow-up; N = 1,069 for 21-day follow-up.
Data collection was reviewed by the Human Subjects Committee at Yale University, ensuring ethical compliance.

Primary Outcome Measures: Focused on four attitudinal dimensions:
1. Legitimacy: Includes trust in police and perceptions of normative appropriateness.
2. Perceived Effectiveness: Confidence in police functionality.
3. Cooperation: Willingness to assist law enforcement.
4. Compliance: Adherence to directives given by police.
Secondary Outcomes: Included general perceptions of police warmness, support for body cameras, and increased patrol officer funding.

Primary Effect Data:
- Attitudes toward police improved significantly, with average increases of:
- Legitimacy and perceived effectiveness: 7 points on a 0-100 scale immediate post-contact.
- General positivity: Increased by 9.5 points on a feeling thermometer scale.
- Comparative effect size noted against baseline racial attitudes (black and white respondents).
- All four primary measures reflected positive shifts immediate and after 21 days.
Racial Demographics: More pronounced effects were found in minority groups, particularly among black respondents—initial 11-point increase versus 6-point increase for white respondents.
Behavioral Insights: Improved cooperation willingness despite initial attitudes favoring police.
Secondary Outcomes: Reduction in generalized negative beliefs about police and positive effects on support for officer funding but no sustained support for body cameras.

Theoretical Significance: The study supports intergroup contact theory underscoring that significant shifts in attitudes can emanate from brief positive experiences.
Application of Findings: Highlights practical implications for police strategies promoting legitimate, non-enforcement community engagement.
Limitations: While effective, such strategies are not a cure-all for policing issues like brutality and warrant careful contextual application in diverse jurisdictions.

This experiment shows the potential for simple changes in police behavior to yield substantial positive shifts in public perception and trust, suggesting community policing initiatives could be seen as viable investments towards building healthier police-community relationships.