Routledge Just Authority?: Trust in the Police in England and Wales

Public attitudes towards crime, policing and justice remain 'hot' social and political topics. Low confidence in the criminal justice system challenges the legitimacy that underpins the effectiveness of the police and the courts. The police depend upon the authority they can command rather than the force they can deploy as a last resort. This book provides the most authoritative and comprehensive analysis thus far of the meaning, distribution and significance of trust in the police and the legitimacy of legal authorities.