Support for increased police powers depends on public trust

Public support for increased police powers relies heavily on trust and legitimacy, according to a new study by UCL and the London School of Economics (LSE). In the new paper, published in the British Journal of Criminology , the authors assessed the factors that matter most to the public when deciding if they support the police's use of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology. The study was conducted in London against a pre-Covid-19 backdrop, but many of its findings are relevant to current and future police powers in enforcing social distancing rules. After examining the survey data of 1,092 Londoners, originally collected for the London Policing Ethics Panel Report on LFR, the researchers found the public are broadly supportive of LFR. The data reveal that just under 60 per cent of those interviewed feel its use is acceptable. The researchers found the key factor motivating acceptance or rejection of LFR is concern around privacy. However, for those who feel its use is acceptable, beliefs that the police are trustworthy and legitimate (ie: that they can be trusted to do the right thing and wield their power appropriately) seemed to allay these concerns.