Queering police legitimacy theories: (dis)trust, context, and visibility

Police legitimacy theories have predominately been used to understand perceptions of police among heteronormative communities. This work has often failed to consider the views and experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other non-heteronormative (LGBTQ+) people. Building upon...

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Bibliographische Detailangaben
VerfasserInnen: Scott, Ben (VerfasserIn) ; Pfitzner, Naomi (VerfasserIn) ; Fitz-Gibbon, Kate 1986- (VerfasserIn)
Medienart: Elektronisch Aufsatz
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: 2025
In: Policing and society
Jahr: 2025, Band: 35, Heft: 8, Seiten: 1068-1083
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Schlagwörter:
Critical Criminology
queer criminology
LGBTQ + people
Police Legitimacy
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Police legitimacy theories have predominately been used to understand perceptions of police among heteronormative communities. This work has often failed to consider the views and experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other non-heteronormative (LGBTQ+) people. Building upon existing critiques of police legitimacy theories, this article examines the shortcomings of monolithic conceptions of legitimacy when applied to non-heteronormative communities. Through a critical and queer criminological lens this article explores perceptions of police legitimacy among 148 LGBTQ + people in Victoria, Australia. Drawing on the findings of an exploratory online survey, the results indicate that police legitimacy should not be conceptualised or measured through monolithic judgements. Instead, police legitimacy should be understood as a multifaceted and dialogical phenomenon that is spatially and temporally contingent. The study reveals a strong distrust in Victoria Police amongst LGBTQ + people as well as a preference to avoid interacting with police officers whenever possible. The findings indicate that an intersectional interrogation of police legitimacy theories is required to understand the nuanced ways in which legitimacy is experienced by diverse community groups.
ISSN:1477-2728
DOI:10.1080/10439463.2025.2453449