To protect and to serve? Comparing students’ perceptions of the legitimacy of the campus police in urban and suburban contexts

Purpose Given that previous research examining students’ perceptions of the legitimacy of the campus police (CP) has largely taken place on a single campus and utilized quantitative methods, the purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how community context shapes students’ interactions with and perceptions of the CP in two distinct campus settings. Design/methodology/approach This study draws on in-depth interviews with 70 undergraduates, including 36 attending a university in a relatively safe, affluent suburban area and 34 attending a university in a high crime, disadvantaged urban area. Findings Although participants at both universities appreciated the presence and visibility of the CP, some Suburban U students felt that rather than being protected from outside threats, they were instead policed for engaging in behaviors that they deemed typical of the college experience. Alternatively, Urban U students expressed the opposite of their CP, providing evidence that brief and positive officer-initiated encounters can enhance perceptions of legitimacy, particularly in settings characterized by higher crime rates. Research limitations/implications These findings have implications for how the CP can build trust and legitimacy among students to enhance campus safety and foster future compliance and mutual respect. Originality/value This study extends the findings of previous research in two important ways. First, it compares two starkly different campus contexts to understand how community setting and local crime rates influence students’ perceptions of the CP, and second, it utilizes both a comparative and qualitative research design.