Police–Public Expectation Gap: Understanding the Boundaries of Policing in Bengaluru: A Quantitative Study

Gayathri Ranjith; Bindya Yohannan

Police–Public Expectation Gap: Understanding the Boundaries of Policing in Bengaluru: A Quantitative Study

Author(s)	Dr. Gayathri Ranjith, Dr. Bindya Yohannan
Country	India
Abstract	The relationship between the police and the public is shaped by expectations regarding police responsiveness, accessibility, communication, protection, and service delivery. Differences between what citizens expect from the police and what police personnel perceive as their institutional responsibilities may create a police–public expectation gap. The present study, titled “Police Public Expectation Gap: Understanding the Boundaries of Policing in Bengaluru,” examines the nature of this gap and the factors associated with it. A quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional research design was adopted. Data were collected from 500 respondents, comprising 400 members of the public and 100 police personnel in Bengaluru. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-test, chi-square test, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple linear regression. The findings indicate that a majority of respondents experienced a moderate level of police–public expectation gap (53.6%), while 27.2% reported a high gap and 19.2% a low gap. A significant difference was observed between public expectations of police services and police personnel’s perceptions of public expectations (t = 4.86, p < .001). Awareness of police responsibilities was significantly associated with respondents’ understanding of the legal, institutional, and operational boundaries of policing (χ² = 82.64, p < .001). Police responsiveness, accessibility, and communication were significantly related to the expectation gap, with the overall relationship being negative (r = −.52, p < .001). Public trust in the police was also significantly associated with the expectation gap (r = −.46, p < .001). Multiple regression analysis indicated that the selected socio-demographic and police-contact variables significantly explained variation in the expectation gap (R² = .38, p < .001). The study highlights that the police–public expectation gap is influenced by both institutional factors and citizens’ understanding of police responsibilities and limitations. Strengthening public awareness, improving police accessibility and communication, enhancing responsiveness, and establishing effective community-police engagement mechanisms may contribute to clearer mutual expectations and more constructive police–public relationships.
Keywords	Police–public relationship, expectation gap, police responsiveness, public trust, police accessibility, procedural justice, policing boundaries, Bengaluru.
Field	Sociology > Intelligence / Security
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On	2026-09-30

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Police–Public Expectation Gap: Understanding the Boundaries of Policing in Bengaluru: A Quantitative Study

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