Increasing police trustworthiness through a user-oriented design approach

Abstract

This study addresses the research question of how product design can enhance and strengthen the general public’s positive perceptions of the police in Norway. Product design expertise can be used to gain valuable insight into human-technology relationships, the general public and the possibilities within the field of crime prevention. By considering product design methods and tools, this study aims to call attention to an overlooked development possibility for interaction between the public and the police. The public expects the police to protect it, to prevent and solve crimes and to arrest criminals, in order to preserve safety and trust. Research on police practice has shown that the police are seen as service providers, and that the public is regarded as a static user and observer of police services. The product design approach that is applied in this study regards the public, to a greater extent, as a provider of the means of preventing crime. This paper uses studies of police surveys, reports and research on police practice in its methodology. For this study, interviews and observations of both individuals from the public and the police were carried out. This paper presents new insights from a product design perspective, which can contribute to filling the knowledge gap in interactions between police and public relations. The resulting knowledge can be used in practice to strengthen bonds between the police and the public, and to enable better prevention of crime