SIX CORNERS BACKSTAGE GUIDE 17 and they’re more apt to help co-police their communities, report crime, identify criminals, and act as witnesses and jurors. “Trust is not simply a byproduct of providing high quality service delivery or lowering the crime rate,” explains Tyler. “Research shows that the subjective experience of being policed matters.” In particular, studies show that people react to whether or not they believe the procedures used by the police are just, an idea referred to as “procedural justice.” Drawing on evidence from behavioral science, Tyler and colleagues contend that efforts to foster perceptions of procedural justice must focus on:  Public Participation: Involving the broader community in the development of strategies for managing social order encourages public acceptance and buy-in.  Neutrality: Engaging in transparent, rule-based decision making demonstrates that policing policy and practices are fair and unbiased.  Respect: Treating citizens with dignity communicates to them that their rights are being respected.  Trustworthiness: Showing sensitivity to people’s needs and concerns indicates that the police are sincerely trying to do what is best for those involved. “Psychological science can play an important role in the process of creating evidence-based policies and society can benefit from the incorporation of such evidence into policies and practices of legal authorities,” says Tyler. According to Cook, the authors “make a strong case in support of taking police legitimacy seriously, and they point out that many police officials and other public leaders have recognized its importance.” The stakes are high, Cook says, but “research offers a way forward; it cannot determine society’s goals, but it can provide the means to achieve the goals of a just society, and to do so more efficiently and effectively.”