Little is known about procedural justice and police legitimacy perceptions in the business community, particularly in high-crime urban areas. This dissertation comprises a study on the attitudes of small business owners toward the police in the city of Detroit. The main assumption of procedural justice and police legitimacy theory is that individuals will be less inclined to question the legitimacy of police if they believe police are making quality decisions and treating them with respect. Although existing research indicates that procedural justice is a stable predictor of legitimacy across race, ethnicity and community contexts, there is a paucity of research on the factors that shape business owners' perceptions of policing. This study contributes to research on procedural justice and police legitimacy theory by presenting a conceptual framework on the influence of race, culture and experiences with crime and victimization on attitudes toward police. The research goals are three-fold. The study examines the applicability of procedural justice and police legitimacy perceptions as explanations for small business owners' attitudes toward the police in high-crime areas. It also examines whether the attitudes of small business owners toward the police are influenced by the type and location of business, prior victimizations, fear of crime, race and ethnic origin. In addition, it explores whether these factors also influence the likelihood of business owners reporting crimes to the police, and their willingness to assist the police. This research uses a mixed methods approach. The data were gathered through an exploratory survey of Detroit business owners (n = 63) as well as from a sample of in-depth interviews with business owners (n = 39). The findings indicate that procedural justice perceptions have a significant influence on police legitimacy perceptions. The results also highlight the importance of race, type of business and the risk of victimization and their impact on the willingness of business owners to report crimes to the police. These findings have implications for police practice as well as policies on urban small business support and development. Meaningful interactions between police and small business owners, particularly immigrant-owners, could potentially enhance police-community relations. These interactions could also be crucial to the survival of business activity and the socio-economic health of urban neighborhoods.
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