The Process-Based Model of Policing Revisited: Examining the Reciprocal Relationship Between Procedural Justice and Police Legitimacy

Most research on the impact of procedural justice on police legitimacy has relied on cross-sectional data, with limited attention to potential reverse effects. This study examines the reciprocal relationship between procedural justice and police legitimacy (i.e. obligation to obey) over time using cross-lagged panel analysis of three waves of survey data (n = 617) collected largely from crime hot spots in Baltimore, Maryland. Findings showed little evidence that prior perceptions of procedural justice influenced subsequent obligation to obey. However, some evidence of the reverse effect emerged, although it was significant only from Wave 2 to Wave 3, with prior obligation to obey predicting later perceptions of procedural justice. The findings suggest that the widely reported robust effects of procedural justice on police legitimacy may stem from an overreliance on cross-sectional studies. This study highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between procedural justice and police legitimacy.