Determinants and Consequence of Beliefs to obey Police

Determinants and Consequence of Beliefs to obey Police Regulations in South Korea Yung Hyeock Lee, Ph. D. , Korea National Police University

Tyler’s Processed-Based Model of Regulation 정당성은 도구적(instrumental)측면과 규범적 (normative) 측면으로 구성 전자는: 경찰역량 위하력 배분적(distributive justice)에 영향받음 후자는: 절차는 공정성(procedual justice)에 영향받음

Methodology Each item tested on the hypothesized latent constructs such as Fairness Police Performance Legitimacy Deterrence Compliance Cooperation Latent variables labeled as ‘Beliefs to obey Law Enforcement Authority’ (former) ‘Cynicism about Law’ (latter)

Methodology Using AMOS version 6. 0 structural equation modeling, Three items (3, 4, 5) reflected ‘Fair Justice’ Two items (6, 7) reflected ‘Police Performance’ Three items (12, 13, 14) reflected ‘Deterrence of Law’

Figure 1

Key Elements of Fair Justice Participation Neutrality Quality of interpersonal treatment

Results Fair justice a strong indicator of legitimacy in America but not in South Korea Normative factors less influential than utilitarian ones (i. e. police effectiveness, police trustworthiness) ‘legitimation deficit’

Legal Cynicism Defined by: 법에 대한 일반적 불신, 이기적 법은 지키는 자만 손해다. perceptions that the law presents inconveniences to their daily life 경찰요구 무시해도 된다 실제 위반회수

Fair Justice and Legal Cynicism Fair justice shown to display negative effect on legal cynicism Fair procedural methods adopted in unbiased manner, high probability of negative legal cynicism Public display internal motivations for abiding by the law

Deterrence Defined by: Belief that people will cease from engaging in criminal activity if they fear getting caught and punished In this study, it is defined by: When people violate the law, punishment will be certain, swift, and severe

Results Deterrence shown to have positive effects on beliefs to obey law enforcement in America but not in South Korea People perceive getting caught as an ‘unlucky’ incident Rebellion toward law policies by staging protests Both instances indicate lack of deterrence

Deterrence and Legal Cynicism Deterrence shown to have negative effect on legal cynicism Imminent punishment deter engaging in criminal activity Severity and swiftness of punishment also deter engagement in potential criminal activity

Police Performance Defined by: The effectiveness of police controlling crime and criminal behavior In this study, it is defined by: How well police catch criminals and prevent crimes

Results Police performance shown to have positive effects on legitimacy Effective crime control, criminal behavior, and increased professionalism lead to greater public confidence in police Result in public cooperation In South Korea, police viewed as sole institution responsible for controlling crime

Police performance and Legal cynicism Police performance shown to have no effect on legal cynicism Lake City, Ill study Legal professional’s performance shown to have negative effect on legal cynicism Dishonesty by legal professionals cause public to lose face with entire legal system

Legitimacy and Cynicism: The Case with South Korea High legitimacy has positive effect on legal cynicism Three possible explanations High expectations of legitimacy likely to perceive legal cynicism after unlawful practices witnessed in everyday life Benefits received from complying with the law Perceived notion law does not apply to people in everyday life

Conclusion Legitimacy a crucial factor in law-abiding, esp. in American settings due to Normative commitments to, and shared moral values with, the police Legitimacy a ‘murky’ concept in South Korea Normative commitments are less influential as a result of past colonial experiences Procedural justice is a proven factor for legitimate view on police institution in America Personal views about police important

Conclusion In South Korea, police performance is a proven factor for police legitimacy Sole institution for controlling crime Media’s portrayal of police take effect on public’s view