Students Post and Response Week 5 (for Hifsa Shakaut)

The main focus of any professional agency regardless of it being law enforcement or private company should be its legitimacy. In the case of Law Enforcement the term legitimate can mean multiple different things. There is also multiple different names for Police Legitimacy, often referred to as procedural justice, coined by the Obama administration. While they mean two different things the same core ideas come to mind. The main issue with these terminologies is more semantics then anything else. While it is not just believed but widely know the civilian populace wants a police force they can trust, the term legitimacy means a different thing for each person using it. For the police it is the right to exercise their police powers in a positive manner, as for a minority community that feels that most police interactions are un warranted, the idea of legitimacy might mean something different. For many small minority communities they believe that legitimacy and accountability go hand in hand if not they are the same thing.

The key concepts would be knowing what the community wants from its police force and tailoring a system that works for that community. That will be the legitimate trust that most people are looking for in their police departments.

“Police legitimacy reflects the belief that the police ought to be allowed to exercise their authority to maintain social order, manage conflicts, and solve problems in their communities. Legitimacy is reflected in three judgments. The first is public trust and confidence in the police. Such confidence involves the belief that the police are honest, that they try to do their jobs well, and that they are trying to protect the community against crime and violence. Second, legitimacy reflects the willingness of residents to defer to the law and to police authority, i.e. their sense of obligation and responsibility to accept police authority. Finally, legitimacy involves the belief that police actions are morally justified and appropriate to the circumstances.

Research consistently shows that minorities are more likely than whites to view law enforcement with suspicion and distrust. Minorities frequently report that the police disproportionately single them out because of their race or ethnicity. This perception about the lawfulness and legitimacy of law enforcement are an important criterion for judging policing in a democratic society. Lawfulness means that police comply with constitutional, statutory, and professional norms. Legitimacy is linked to the public's belief about the police and its willingness to recognize police authority.

Racial and ethnic minority perceptions that the police lack lawfulness and legitimacy, based largely on their interactions with the police, can lead to distrust of the police. Distrust of police has serious consequences. Most importantly, it undermines the legitimacy of law enforcement. Without legitimacy, police lose their ability and authority to function effectively.” -Police Officer Standardized Training California

What do you think are the prevailing opinions of the legitimacy of law enforcement in the United States?

I believe that this is a loaded question, because the right answer can be perceived as outdated and maybe in many circles insensitive. It reminds me of moments before the 2016 election, if you were to ask CNN who was about to win and how large the margin of the win was going to be you would have received the wrong answer. If you were to ask people based on what they have seen on many popular new media stations if the police in the United States were fair the answer would be undoubtably no, but is that to say everyone in the United States believes that. I believe again that the silent minority relay on Police and Police services on a daily basis and walk away with a favorable stance on their police officers. Remembering again that issues such as race and racial profiling are but just a small part of a larger puzzle that makes up the favorable or unfavorable of police.

How does Racial Profiling or Disproportionate levels of contact with specific ethnic groups’ effect law enforcement legitimacy?

This by far is the hardest question to answer given its first already answered itself and second is a loaded question. If a Police Department was to be caught or they openly racially profiled there would be no reason for the civilian populace to adhere their that police departments authority. While I personally do not adhere to the basic ideas of the ractchet effect, I do believe that statistics have a purpose in all of this. I understand that FBI statics do not favor the African American community in a positive light regarding the amount of crime committed by such a small populace. Now that information can be looked at a million different ways and it can be used to fit almost any narrative you want. The high level of incarcerated African Americans can be made to look like police are the issue while others think the issues fall on the failed leadership of inner cities. Regardless of the reason the outcome is still less then positive. While we might not have any true idea on how to prevent or change these numbers we do know that one of the biggest factors in dividing the two communities have been the false narrative news stories ran but popular media outlets.

How can probation, parole, and other law enforcement groups build legitimacy in the community?

Any part of law enforcement can help the entire community. It is actually up to every officer to make a difference on a daily basis. Regardless of the title, rank or agency the same is true for most if not all peace officer which is they represent something larger then themselves and often the only thing anyone recognized is the badge and a uniform regardless of who they work for. So knowing full well the American public just sees a badge and uniform it is up to all peace officers to establish and build law enforcement legitimacy.

How will your audit (Research Paper) help build integrity in the organization and ultimately legitimacy? What are some of your early findings, if you have them?

The best part of my audit will be the transparency that the Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office is willing to lend me and the public in showing their policies and procedures. This openness that they show only helps to build to their credibility and integrity in the eyes of the public thus creating a more legitimate apparel to their brand name.

References State of California Commission. (0AD). Resources. Retrieved from https://post.ca.gov/procedural-justice-and-police-legitimacy.