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Using a brief contact to improve trust in the police by the youth

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  • Clochard, Gwen-Jirō

Abstract

Trust in the police has many positive effects, so it is important to explore solutions to improve police-community relations, especially in areas where such relations are deteriorated. In this paper, I use a lab-in-the-field experiment in two high schools in France to investigate the effect of a brief and controlled discussion - contact - between police officers and students on trust. The results indicate a positive effect of contact on trust at the individual level, i.e. toward the specific police officer met. However, the effect does not translate into an increase in trust in the police in general. A Bayesian model of belief formation can shed light on why a single contact may not be sufficient in the case of prior — negative — interactions. This paper can have implications for the most widely used policy to improve perceptions of the police, namely community policing.

Suggested Citation

  • Clochard, Gwen-Jirō, 2025. "Using a brief contact to improve trust in the police by the youth," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:soceco:v:117:y:2025:i:c:s2214804325000436
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socec.2025.102376
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    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior

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