Are police as “guardian-oriented” as they should be? Expectation-reality discrepancies are related to perceptions of legitimacy

Purpose: Due to instances of excessive use of force by police and in recognition of the importance of building positive police-community relationships, policymakers have urged police to become more guardian-oriented (i.e., prioritizing community safety and relationships) and less warrior-oriented (i.e., prioritizing physical control and fighting crime). The purpose of this study was to examine whether community members think police should be guardian- or warrior-oriented and how they view police in their community. Methods: Young adult participants from Prolific Academic (N = 436) self-reported their perceptions of police in an online survey. Results: Participants preferred police to have more of a guardian than warrior orientation and thought police are not as guardian-oriented as they should be. Further, if police did not meet guardian expectations, participants had more negative perceptions of police legitimacy. Conclusions: Expectations for police behavior may influence police legitimation and, within the context of police reform, community members support the call for police to be more guardian-oriented by prioritizing community safety and building relationships. Fostering a guardian orientation in police is particularly important for police that are interested in promoting perceptions of legitimacy among the communities they serve.