ABSTRACT
This chapter is about the relationship between the police, the people they serve, and the control of crime. The role played by the public in policing is clearly central – from reporting crimes, acting as witnesses, and appearing in court to contributing to primary preventive in ensuring that they, their children, and communities play a pro-social role. Research, summarised here, has shown the huge importance of the public perception of police legitimacy in establishing and maintaining the support of the public for police activity, legal compliance, and people’s willingness to contribute to crime control activity.
The importance of securing widespread voluntary compliance with legal requirements was highlighted by the emergence of Covid-19. People were asked to comply with constraints on their movement, associations, clothing (particularly wearing facemasks) and work and leisure activities. This and other examples are used to illustrate how police activity and behaviour affects public responses to issues of social order, law, and social control, as well as to specific developments in police work.
Finally, the implications for the perceived legitimacy of the police and the extent to which their activities are regarded as just are discussed in the context of increased police experimentation and learning advocated as part of crime science.
