Impact of Police Communication Channels on the Police and the Suburban and Rural Community During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how the police work in various segments, including the communication between the police and the communities they serve. Still, there is a lack of scientifically verified knowledge on the effects of these changes that could be applied in future crises. This study aims to investigate the impact of the police use of live and virtual communication channels during the COVID-19 pandemic on the institution (which is measured through police procedural correctness) as well as on the suburban and rural community (which is measured through police legitimacy). Quantitative research using a voluntary and anonymous survey method was conducted on a sample of 367 police officers from two police departments in Croatia, which cover predominantly suburban and rural areas. The results of the Jonckheere-Terpstra trend test and the non-parametric (Spearman) correlation test showed that police officers who intensified remote communication with citizens during the pandemic perceived an improvement in the legitimacy of the police in the community, while those who continued to communicate in person did not perceive such changes. However, live communication was unrelated to public respect for the police and the public’s trust in the police, while remote communication was related to these variables, albeit relatively weakly. Given that the main limitation of this research is that the sample consisted of police officers only and not citizens, future research should include citizens to obtain their perceptions of police communication not just during but also after the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the practical implications of this research related to the necessity of digital communication of the police in crises will gain additional support.