Thematic Focus: Police: Trust or Legitimacy?

Trust in the police? A question of legitimacy
by Volker Eick, Jenny Künkel, and Marie-Theres Piening

In public discourse about the police, the ‚trust‘ that they deserve plays a central role. Trust is supposed to replace legitimacy in a mixture of incantation and appeal. Various strategies employed by the police and politicians nurture the belief that the police are acting in accordance with the law and pursuing goals that are recognized as just and right. This ‚legitimization work‘ is an ongoing and precarious task. The negative effects of this work can only be limited by expanding external controls and reducing police powers and responsibilities.

USA: Rioting as legitimate protest? Discourse on protests against fatal police shootings
by Julika Mücke

In 2014, the fatal shooting of black teenager Michael Brown by a police officer sparked nationwide protests in the USA. These protests were also expressed through rioting. This article examines how riots as a form of protest against racism were subsequently legitimized or delegitimized in discourse. It also analyses how police action shaped debates about the protests, influencing the legitimacy of both the protests and the police.

Legitimacy of the police in Europe: The usefulness of comparisons
by Jacques de Maillard

Do police forces act on behalf of the state or in the interests of public safety? Despite their different historical developments, European police forces are characterized by common tensions between these two orientations, which they nevertheless attempt to reconcile in their own ways.

Trust in and through state authority: A brief historical overview
by Martin Herrnkind

A historical review of trust in the police leads to some sobering conclusions. From the mistrust of law enforcement officers with paramilitary training to the reform attempts of the Weimar Republic and the current problems – such as the division of society and a lack of procedural justice – trust in the police remains a socially controversial issue. Structural obstacles prevent the development of a broader basis of trust, particularly among social minorities.

Police: Trust and Legitimacy in Research
By Thomas Feltes

Trust in and legitimacy of the police are essential for a democratic state. Only when citizens trust the police and consider their actions to be legitimate can the police fulfil their duties adequately. Research on this topic is important for (criminal) policy assessments of institutions that exercise state power and represent the state in everyday life.

Why do feminists trust the police? Resistance and complicity in times of austerity
by Leah Cowan

This article analyses changes to criminal law relating to gender-based violence in the United Kingdom since the 2000s. It demonstrates that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) supporting women frequently advocated criminal law solutions. It examines why feminists placed their trust in these institutions, despite the obvious failure of the police and criminal justice system to prevent gender-based violence. The article also demonstrates the decisive role played by austerity policies in this regard.

“Then the police can overturn”: On the executive branch in the age of the AfD
Interview with Tobias Singelnstein

Social developments are also evident within the police force, with the legitimacy of both the police and the state being challenged by authoritarian parties. Tobias Singelnstein observes a dual strategy on the part of the AfD with regard to the police. On the one hand, the party delegitimizes the police, while at the same time attempting to win them over. Should the AfD become part of a future government, new problems could arise. If right-wing extremist politics were to combine with elements of a police culture that is already sympathetic to the right, the way the state operates would change fundamentally. Laws, surveillance and control could then be employed differently — and against political opponents.

Non-thematic contributions

Edgework in the Field: Space and Emotion in Everyday Police Work
by Ben Hundertmark

Police work can be boring. In order to escape the monotony of their daily routine, police officers seek out fun, excitement and thrills in urban spaces. This creates a kind of police territoriality that goes against the legal principles of neutrality and objectivity.

The deportation of „criminals“?! A critical research perspective
by Svenja Schurade

For years, political debates in Germany have been calling for more efficient deportations, especially of criminal migrants, and this has become particularly evident in the 2025 federal election campaign. This article provides an insight into a deportation detention center and reveals that it is primarily home to individuals marginalized and impoverished by the return-oriented migration policies associated with these debates.

Ignorance of the authorities: The arson attack on March 25, 2024, in Solingen
by Initiative Adalet Solingen

In March 2024, a house in Solingen, which was home to mainly migrant families, was set on fire. Four people were killed and many more were seriously injured. Despite the presence of numerous items indicating right-wing ideology, including weapons, hate poems, Nazi memorabilia and racist chat logs, the police and judiciary still do not recognize a racist motive. The investigation was incomplete and important evidence was overlooked or ignored. For those affected, the verdict means not only losing their loved ones, but also being silenced about the hatred behind the crime.