Perceptions of police legitimacy and its influencing factors: evidence from Guangzhou, China

Introduction Understanding the foundations of public trust in law enforcement is critical for effective governance, particularly in non-Western contexts. While procedural justice theory has received growing empirical attention in China, existing studies have produced mixed findings and largely neglected the combined influence of interactional experiences, neighborhood environmental conditions, and institutionally embedded factors on police legitimacy perceptions. Methods This study examines perceptions of police legitimacy in Guangzhou using survey data from 1,899 residents across 72 diverse neighborhoods. The factors shaping legitimacy perceptions are categorized into five broad domains: individual attributes, procedural/distributive justice, police performance evaluations, legal socialization experience, and perceptions of community environment. Ordinary least squares regression models were estimated to assess the relative contribution of each domain. Results Police performance evaluations were most strongly associated with perceived legitimacy, with police work capability emerging as the strongest positive correlate, followed by overall satisfaction with police and perceived effectiveness of police stops. Procedural and distributive justice also exerted significant but comparatively weaker influence, while legal socialization experiences --particularly prior stops and stricter legal attitudes --were associated with lower perceptions of legitimacy. At the individual level, local hukou holders reported higher perceptions of legitimacy, whereas married individuals and those in higher-status neighborhoods unexpectedly reported lower ratings. Regarding environmental characteristics, community cohesion was associated with higher perceptions of police legitimacy. Discussion These results complement and extend existing models by highlighting the contextual specificity of legitimacy formation in China’s urban setting. Our findings underscore the need for policing strategies that prioritize routine, high-quality citizen interactions and community engagement.