Arlington, TX: A Community Policing Story Arlington, TX - A Community Policing Story | Page 16

researchers suggest that community members base their opinions—i.e., their assessments—
about a specific interaction not only on the outcome of that encounter but also on the process
of the encounter itself; in fact, the perceived fairness of the process, in many cases, is found to
outweigh the outcome of the process. 30 For example, one study found that recipients of a traffic
citation from an officer who had treated
them fairly not only viewed the police
The most important thing that a
more favorably but also were more willing
to cooperate with the police than they had
police chief can do in a moment of
been before their traffic citation. 31
“
If procedural justice is closely linked with
public compliance, then procedural injustice
is also closely linked to public incompliance.
needs the best that you can.”
Studies have demonstrated that exposure
to procedural injustice among juveniles,
— Chief Will Johnson
particularly among at-risk youth of color, is
Arlington Police Department
positively associated with participation in
risky lifestyles, which is “a well-established
predictor of victimization.” 32 Therefore,
“making both the style and substance of police practices more ‘legitimate’ in the eyes of the
public . . . may be one of the most effective long-term police strategies for crime prevention.” 33
crisis is try to address the information
Likewise, procedural justice also influences officer behavior and actions. Research demon-
strates, somewhat intuitively, that officers exposed to internal procedural justice—i.e., fair and
transparent relationships between officers, their colleagues, and their leaders—are more likely
to comply with departmental policies, protocols, and decision-making. Moreover, these officers
are also more likely to incorporate external procedural justice in to their interactions with the
public, thereby improving the community’s perception of the agency’s legitimacy. 34
30. Tyler and Huo, Trust in the Law (see note 12).
31. Tyler and Fagan, “Legitimacy and Cooperation” (see note 20).
32. Scott E. Wolfe and Kyle Mclean, “Procedural Injustice, Risky Lifestyles, and Violent Victimization,” Crime and
Delinquency 63, no. 11 (2017): 1383–1409, https://doi.org/10.1177/0011128716640292.
33. Lawrence W. Sherman and John E. Eck, “Policing for Crime Prevention,” in Evidence-Based Crime Prevention
(New York: Routledge, 2002), 295–329.
34. Kunard and Moe, Procedural Justice for Law Enforcement (see note 29); President’s Task Force on 21st Century
Policing, Final Report (see note 17).
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Arlington, TX: A Community Policing Story