Exploring the multilevel nature of police confidence in Brazil

Abstract

This article proposes multilevel modelling to account for individuals’ contexts when predicting police confidence. It uses the case study of Brazil considering 107 cities from 25 states to assess four evidence and literature-based predictors impacting police confidence measures in the country. The article found that being a crime victim, experiencing police corruption and having low interpersonal trust were negatively and significantly associated with confidence in the police. Levels of variance between individuals grouped by cities and states were a considerable explanatory feature of police confidence. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to police governance.