Case Study : Operation Snap continued ...
Mobile : Engaged contribution
Knowledge Exchange
Whilst our Knowledge Exchange Consultation ( KEC ) took place with GoSafe , and was focused on developing their work specifically , much of the discussion was , we believe , relevant to other forces who are yet to implement a scheme of this type .
Social norms Humans generally , and naturally , wish to be part of the majority in-group ¹ and public reporting projects like Operation Snap are a great opportunity for redefining who that ‘ majority ’ actually is on the roads . One way we can do this is by emphasising that this resource exists because the public have demanded it and not because the police want us to spy on each other , or cannot do their job without us . One way of reinforcing this message is by focussing on reporting the numbers of people submitting , rather than focussing on the behaviour of those who have been reported . Footage of dangerous driving makes good publicity material , but this should be accompanied by figures about levels of public reporting .
The Operation Snap strategy is to be clear that it exists in response to public demands - a kind of ‘ you asked , we did ’, which we ( and the research evidence ) fully support . We would encourage media work to avoid suggesting that the public are ‘ helping out the police ’ ( which may lead people to criticise the approach as ‘ doing their work for them ’), but to promote the idea of the police and public working together to co-produce the same aim – safer roads .
Interaction with offenders and the accused Online submission of footage allows police forces to come into contact with a range of people ( both offenders and submitters ) and part of our KEC involved discussion of how those individuals are engaged with . It is essential that forces make the most of these encounters and see them as opportunities to increase the legitimacy of their work in the eyes of the public . It is important to consider how individuals who have been accused of committing an offence will be contacted ( email , phone , letter ?), who they will be contacted by , and what the contact will involve . For more specifics , see pages 59-63 and the discussion of ‘ procedural justice ’. Wherever and whenever we are able to interact with offenders , we should be making the most of those opportunities to influence their future behaviour in a positive manner .
¹ Terry , D . J ., Hogg , M . A . and McKimmie , B . M . ( 2000 ). Attitude ‐behaviour relations : The role of in‐group norms and mode of behavioural decision‐making . British Journal of Social Psychology , 39 ( 3 ), pp . 337-361 .
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