Do people still repose confidence in the police? Assessing the effects of public experience of police corruption in South Africa

• Published in: African identities Vol. 19; no. 2; pp. 141 - 159
• Main Author: Bello, Paul Oluwatosin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pretoria Routledge 03.04.2021; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: confidence; Corruption; Legitimacy; Police; Police corruption; public; Public opinion; South Africa; South Africa
• ISSN: 1472-5843; 1472-5851
• DOI: 10.1080/14725843.2020.1792827

This empirical study explores police corruption, and measure whether public experience of police corruption predict confidence in the police. Police legitimacy is often built on public confidence, but when the actions of the police are fraught with corruption, the confidence reposed on it by the public will be eroded. Studies have also demonstrated that public experience of police corruption undermine the ethos and image of the police. While this assertion holds true, scarcely has any study test the creditability of such assumption. Therefore, it is imperative to assess in detail, the extent of such claim, and the major determinant of public loss of confidence in the police. Using a sample of 482 participants from a cross-sectional survey, the study measures whether public experience of police corruption has any effect on any of the three dimensions of public confidence in the South African Police Service. This current study corroborates and somewhat challenge previous assertions on the extent of relationship between the police and the public in South Africa. The implications of the findings for policing in South Africa are discussed.