Building Satisfaction through Trust: The Impact of Technology Integration on Malaysian Policing

This study investigates the role of technology integration in shaping public satisfaction with police services in Malaysia, with trust examined as a mediating factor.Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Institutional Trust Theory, the research conceptualises satisfaction as a functional and relational outcome, determined by the efficiency of digital tools and the degree to which policing institutions are perceived as fair and trustworthy.Data were collected from 417 respondents residing in Klang Valley, the country's most urbanised region, using a survey administered via social media platforms.The Technology Integration, Trust, and Public Satisfaction constructs were measured with validated scales and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM).The results show that technology integration significantly enhances public satisfaction and strengthens institutional trust.Trust, in turn, strongly influences satisfaction and partially mediates the relationship between technology and satisfaction.The findings suggest that while digital policing reforms improve efficiency and accessibility, their impact on satisfaction is magnified when supported by citizens' trust in the police.The study extends theory by integrating TAM and Institutional Trust Theory in a non-Western policing context.It also offers practical implications for police organisations and policymakers, emphasising the importance of designing citizen-centred digital platforms, training officers to use technology transparently, and embedding reforms within broader accountability frameworks.By situating Malaysia within wider international debates on digital policing, the study highlights that technology and trust must advance together to secure meaningful public satisfaction.