Will increasing police diversity raise public confidence? A critical analysis

Abstract

This thesis examines historical, theoretical and existing empirical evidence and obtains primary research to critically assess the potential relationship between attitudes towards police diversity and confidence in the police. Using a cross-sectional approach, this research created a large online, multiple-choice questionnaire and utilised SPSS for statistical analysis to add to the extremely small body of empirical research concerning the potential relationship between the topics. The importance of the research is enhanced because a significant proportion of the population currently does not have confidence in the police and there appears to be a relationship between public confidence and co-operating with the police.

Findings indicate that the majority of the general public support the police becoming representative of the wider population to a certain extent. They additionally identify that, in the event of the police becoming representative of the wider population, societal confidence in the police will increase by a considerable amount. The thesis therefore provides empirical support for the apparent consensus within politics and law enforcement that the diversity of the police should become representative of wider society.

Nevertheless, the findings further suggest that, in line with the theoretical framework (which utilises system justification and intersectionality theories), there is considerable variation in attitudes between respondents from different groups regarding gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation. In addition, the multivariate impact of attitudes towards police diversity on confidence in the police is extremely small. Consequently, the thesis argues that while the police should become representative of the wider population to increase public confidence, the relationship between attitudes towards diversity and confidence in the police is complex and multi-faceted.

Date of Award	27 Feb 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Northumbria University
Supervisor	Michael Rowe (Supervisor) & Oluwagbenga Akinlabi (Supervisor)