Examining community perceptions of the police post 2020: the role of civic attitudes, experiences and socio-demographic traits

Purpose Understanding the dynamics around public perceptions of law enforcement has become an important research area to explore. Negative attitudes can shape the extent to which citizens obey the law and cooperate with police, a critical element of public safety. Divides across perceptions and experiences with the government and civic engagement, as well as personal attributes, likely factor into evaluations of police fairness. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on a cross-sectional statewide survey of Virginians, we examine how civic attitudes, experiences with the government and socio-demographic factors relate to policing perceptions among citizens after 2020, a chaotic year for law enforcement. Findings Results suggest variation across the public in their overall assessments of fairness and across specific dimensions of policing treatment. Research limitations/implications The findings of the current study indicate the salience of civic engagement, as well as other factors in contribuing to positive perceptions of law enforcement. Thus, research implications for future study suggest a continued focus on such factors (and related experiences) within the context of public evaluations of police fairness and equity. Practical implications This study underscores the importance of local governments and police to increase the public’s involvement in the community for both civil action, which may have indirect positive impacts on public perceptions of police. Originality/value Our contribution is unique given the time frame explored, the nature of the sample and findings demonstrating variation across public evaluation of the police.