“A Community of Critics”: Bystander Perceptions of Procedural Justice

Positive public perceptions of police officers have declined as social media has increased the visibility of use of force incidents. This has led to public concerns regarding officers’ actions during interactions with civilians in behavioural crises, and a need to examine whether public perceptions vary across type of officer tactics employed, use of force, and type of crisis. In the source article, students and community members supported the use of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) tactics with individuals in behavioural crisis. The use of CIT tactics also appears to improve how civilians perceive an officer's use of force, highlighting the ability of CIT tactics to influence public perceptions of police-civilian interactions, even when force is necessary. To improve community-police perceptions, and the use of procedural justice during interactions with vulnerable populations, agencies should consider implementing CIT training and programs for their officers.