Police Legitimacy Action Matrix

This matrix combines the assessments of an organization’s “legitimacy state” and “readiness to change” to inform the proper response to moving toward the desired state of becoming a legitimate, healthy and adept police organization. A “wrongful, unhealthy and challenged” organization, for instance, needs external motivation and direction – such as a court order – to change by moving progressively from its current state through a “marginal” state, to an “evolving” one and then finally to the desired state of legitimacy because it scores low on all four dimensions of legitimacy – skills and abilities, willingness, legality and legitimacy.