Analyzing Police Officers’ Perceptions of the Autonomous Police Affairs: An Empirical Approach to Enhancing Policy Acceptance

This study empirically investigated police officers’ perceptions of local police affairs under Korea’s autonomous police system, with a focus on enhancing policy acceptance. Using survey data, exploratory factor analysis revealed two functional dimensions: Crime Prevention and Safety Management and Traffic Control. Cluster analysis based on factor scores identified two distinct perception types that emphasized different aspects of police affairs. Independent-sample t-tests showed that officers in the Crime Prevention and Safety Management-oriented cluster reported significantly higher levels of service satisfaction than those in the Traffic Control-oriented cluster. However, binary logistic regression indicated that demographic variables—such as gender, age, entry route, tenure, and prior experience in autonomous police work—did not significantly predict cluster membership. These findings underscore the need for differentiated policy strategies tailored to perception types and emphasize the importance of demand-oriented approaches for strengthening policy acceptance within the autonomous police system.