Police Legitimacy and COVID-19: Community Perceptions and Experiences in Nottinghamshire

This research investigates public perceptions and lived experiences of policing in Nottinghamshire, England, during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) pandemic, with a particular focus on police legitimacy. The study had four key objectives; first, to evaluate the internal consistency of the US-developed Tyler and Jackson (2014) police legitimacy scale in a UK context; second, to develop and assess the internal reliability of a new psychometric scale, the Stones’ COVID-19 Policing perception Scale (SCPPS) for measuring police legitimacy within a COVID-19 context; third, to examine the extent to which SCPPS-derived factors and demographic variables, predict perceptions of police legitimacy; and fourth, to explore qualitative focus group data to gain deeper insight into the factors shaping perceptions of police legitimacy and to elaborate on the constructs identified within the quantitative phase. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was utilised, combining quantitative questionnaire data and qualitative focus groups. The internal reliability of the Tyler and Jackson (2014) legitimacy scale was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, while exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to identify latent constructs within the newly developed SCPPS. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine predictors of perceived police legitimacy using the four factors identified via EFA, alongside additional demographic variables. Thematic analysis of the focus group transcripts was conducted using a deductive approach, guided by the quantitative findings. Results showed that the Tyler and Jackson (2014) police legitimacy scale demonstrated strong overall validity, with the exception of the trust and confidence construct. EFA identified four distinct factors within the SCPPS: Factor 1: trust, confidence, and perceived police fairness; Factor 2: public support for the COVID-19 policing powers; Factor 3: police visibility and COVID-19 enforcement measures; and Factor 4: COVID-19 enforcement challenges. All four factors demonstrated strong internal consistency, supporting their reliability for use in further analysis. The final regression model explained 52.5% of the variance in perceived police legitimacy during COVID-19 enforcement. The strongest predictors were trust, confidence, and perceived police fairness; police visibility and enforcement measures; and COVID-19 enforcement challenges. Demographic factors such as gender and age had less influence. Qualitative analysis enhanced these findings by providing further insight into public perceptions and experiences of the police-based response during the pandemic. This study contributes new knowledge by validating a US-based legitimacy scale in the UK, developing a new psychometric tool tailored to COVID-19 policing, and identifying significant predictors of police legitimacy during an unprecedented public health crisis. By drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data, this research offers a comprehensive insight into how police legitimacy is impacted during emergency policing. These findings can inform future policymaking and police-based practice in the context of public health emergencies and other crisis situations.

Citation

Stones, E. (2025). Police Legitimacy and COVID-19: Community Perceptions and Experiences in Nottinghamshire [Unpublished doctoral thesis]. University of Chester.

Publisher

University of Chester

URI

https://chesterrep.openrepository.com/handle/10034/629901

Type

Thesis or dissertation