So Different and So Equal: The Perceptions of Civil and Military Police Officers of São Paulo About their Institutions

Abstract

Research on police self-legitimacy indicates that how these agents perceive the fairness of procedures within their institutions has an impact on how these officers understand their work and authority. This paper presents a comparative analysis of a survey with civilian and military police officers in the city of São Paulo in 2016. We seek to explore how police officers from distinct corporations perceive their institutions and the procedures adopted by them. The results show a tendency of convergence between the perceptions of the civil and military police officers about their institutions. The implications of these findings and police practice are discussed.

Keywords

• polícia, polícia militar, polícia civil, legitimidade, justiça procedimental