ABSTRACT

How can we improve public confidence in the legitimacy of recently instituted police forces in a divided society affected by violent conflict? And can public perceptions of clan representation within the police force encourage public engagement with law enforcement? It is generally understood that public confidence in domestic security sector institutions is integral for stability and consolidation of states affected by prolonged warfare. However, in deeply divided societies, building such confidence can be difficult. Accordingly, advocates argue that improved demographic representation within domestic security institutions can help improve residents’ engagement and cooperation with security forces. The current study tests this prediction relying on community survey data collected in Kismayo, Somalia. The authors find that residents who perceive the local police to be representative of local clans are more likely to believe the force is legitimate. In turn, residents who believe the force has more legitimacy are more willing to cooperate with and empower police with greater discretionary authority, while perceptions of clan representation maintains an indirect and significant impact on residents’ willingness to empower officers.

摘要

在受暴力冲突影响的分裂社会中，我们如何提高公众对最近成立的警察部队合法性的信心？公众对警察部队中部族代表的看法能否鼓励公众参与执法？人们普遍认为，公众对国内安全部门机构的信心对于受长期战争影响的国家的稳定和巩固是不可或缺的。然而，在严重分裂的社会中，建立这种信心可能很困难。因此，倡导者认为，提高国内安全机构内的人口代表性可以帮助改善居民与安全部队的接触和合作。目前的研究依靠在索马里基斯马尤收集的社区调查数据来测试这一预测。作者发现，认为当地警察代表当地部落的居民更有可能相信警察是合法的。反过来，认为警察具有更大合法性的居民更愿意与警察合作并赋予警察更大的自由裁量权，而对宗族代表的看法对居民授权警察的意愿保持着间接和重大的影响。