Attitudes toward the police: a critique and recommendations

A substantial body of research has examined citizens’ attitudes toward the police (ATP). For the most part, this research is rarely guided by theory of attitudes. ATP research tends to assume that research on citizens’ views of the police present a portrait of police practices, failing to recognize that attitudinal research is fundamentally reflexive – it tells researchers primarily about the person with the attitudes. The current paper reviews seven theoretical perspectives on ATP, describes their central elements, discusses the way in which they are used in police research, identifies their limitations, and assesses their implications for police policy. It concludes with a discussion of central problems and recommendations for future directions for ATP research.