U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.
        Here's how you know
      Here's how you know**Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
      **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** (
            A locked padlock
            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Menu

      
        close

            
            
                                              About NIJ
        
                    
  
          About NIJ
      
    
          The NIJ Director
          How NIJ Is Organized
          Mission and Guiding Principles
          Research and Development Process
          Strategic Framework
          Assessments of NIJ
          Annual Reports & Reports to Congress
          Staff Directory
          Funding & Awards
        
                    
  
          Funding & Awards
      
    
          Current Funding
          Forthcoming Funding
          Expired Funding
          Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
          Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
          Fellowship & Student Programs
          Travel Scholarships
          NIJ Challenge Program
          Library & Multimedia
        
                    
  
          Library & Multimedia
      
    
          NIJ Journal
          Podcasts
          Publications Listing
          Multimedia Listing
          Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
          Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
          Software & Databases
          Datasets
          Patents
          Topics
        
                    
  
          Topics
      
    
          Article Listing
          Corrections
          Courts
          Crime Prevention
          Crimes
          Drugs and Crime
          Equipment and Technology
          Forensic Sciences
          Youth Justice
          Justice System Reform
          Law Enforcement
          Tribal Crime and Justice
          Victims of Crime
          Events
        
                    
  
          Events
      
    
          NIJ 2024 Research Conference
          Scheduled Events
          On-Demand Events
          Research Meetings & Workshops
          NIJ-Hosted Online Training

                            
                                About
          Contact Us
          Subscribe
          Topics A-Z
                  Share
FacebookXLinkedInRedditPinterestEmail Home
                            Library & Multimedia
 Policing, Order Maintenance and Legitimacy (From Policing in Central and Eastern Europe: Dilemmas of Contemporary Criminal Justice, P 38-48, 2004, Gorazd Mesko, et al., eds. -- See NCJ-207973)
NCJ Number
              207975

Author(s)
          Jeffrey Fagan;
                        Tom R. Tyler
Date Published

September 2004
Length
              11 pages
Annotation
              Based on a study that involved a sample of residents of New York City, this study examined the influence of citizens’ attributions of legitimacy to the police and citizens’ willingness to cooperate with the police in the interests of social control.
Abstract
              Using random digit dialing procedures, a sample of 1,653 New York City residents were interviewed by telephone. In an effort to provide a slight over sampling of non-White residents, the sample was limited to approximately one-third White. The dependent variables measured through the interviews were compliance with the law and willingness to cooperate with the police in promoting and increasing public safety. The independent variables measured were attitudes toward police legitimacy (are the police a legitimate authority to be obeyed?), police efficacy (the effectiveness of the police in fighting crime in one’s neighborhood), fear of crime, neighborhood conditions, and deterrence risk. Ordinary least squares regression models were used to examine the extent to which citizen attributions of legitimacy to the police predicted compliance with the law and cooperation with the police. As expected, attribution of legitimacy to the police was found to be a significant predictor of both compliance with the law and cooperation with the police. The attribution of legitimacy to the police was based on citizen perceptions of the police as being fair and objective in the performance of their duties. The contributions of the other predictors in each of the models varied. Assessments of police performance predicted cooperation with police, but not compliance with the law. Perceptions of neighborhood disorder did not predict cooperation with the police and was a weak negative predictor of compliance with the law. Deterrence risks (perception of the likelihood that a law violation would be detected and punished) were significant predictors of both compliance with the law and cooperation with the police. 3 tables and 23 references
      
  
          Additional Details
Agencies
        NIJ


  
  
        
  Publication Type
        Report (Study/Research)
    
  
  
Date Published: September 1, 2004
    
          Downloads
        
                      PDF

Side navigation
  

        

  
  
              NIJ Journal
    
      
            
            
            
      Podcasts
    
      
            
            
            
      Publications Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Multimedia Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Software & Databases
    
      
            
            
            
      Datasets
    
      
            
            
            
      PatentsRelated Topics
        
                Police community relations
        Police-citizen interactions
        Police-minority relations
        Public opinion of the police
        New York



  
Similar Publications
        
                      Why Police "Couldn't or Wouldn't" Submit Sexual Assault Kits for Forensic DNA Testing: A Focal Concerns Theory Analysis of Untested Rape Kits
                  Recruiting women into policing: Experimentally testing the effectiveness of recruiting materials
                  Proactive monitoring and operator discretion: A systematic social observation of CCTV control room operations
 Top

      National Institute of Justice

        
        
                        About NIJ
                    About NIJ
      
    
                  How NIJ Is Organized
      
    
                  NIJ Director
      
    
                  Research Disclaimer
      
    
                  Funding & Awards
                    Funding & Awards Home
      
    
                  Awards Listing
      
    
                  Current Funding
      
    
                  Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
      
    
                  Resources
                    Events
      
    
                  Podcasts
      
    
                  Publications
      
    
                  Topics
      
    
                  Multimedia
      
    
                  Reuse Policy
      
    
                  Contacts
                    Contact NIJ
      
    
                  Staff Directory
      
    
                  Submit a FOIA Request
      
    
                  File a Civil Rights ComplaintFacebook
          
                      X
          
                      YouTube
  

      810 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20531
      
              Secondary Footer link menu
            Accessibility
              Plain Language
              Privacy Policy
              Legal Policies and Disclaimer
              No FEAR Act
              Freedom of Information Act
              USA.gov
              Justice.gov