Police Legitimacy and Community Policing in Slovenia

Abstract

In democratic societies, police legitimacy is an essential element of citizens' voluntary compliance with authority. Drawing on the data from a survey of 1,022 citizens in Slovenia, this study examined the correlates of police legitimacy and citizens' preparedness to cooperate with the police and their support of community policing. Multivariate statistical analyses showed that feelings of obligation to obey, trust in the police, procedural justice, police effectiveness, relations with police officers, gender and age all influence police legitimacy. In turn, positive perceptions of police legitimacy and effectiveness, positive relations with police officers, feelings of obligation to obey, gender and higher levels of education influence preparedness to cooperate with the police. Finally, support of community policing was influenced by police legitimacy, police effectiveness, relations with police officers, gender and higher levels of education. The findings highlighted the importance of police legitimacy in ensuring citizens' cooperation and their support for community policing.