Tracking procedural justice in stop and search pedestrian encounters with police body-camera records

Abstract Procedural justice has emerged as a crucial dimension of fairness in policing. It encompasses the extent to which police officers listen to citizens, show care for the well-being of citizens, act with neutrality, and show respect to them. These matters arise during police-citizen interactions, such as police stop and search of citizens. In this study, we draw on a random sample of 150 stop-and-search encounters recorded on police body-worn cameras in a police force in England (UK) to assess police adherence to procedural justice principles. The analysis shows high ratings on voice, neutrality, and respect but relatively low score on trustworthy motives. We found evidence of procedural justice variability across police jurisdictions. However, there was no evidence of an association between procedural justice and outcomes of stop-and-search interactions. The implications of the findings are discussed.