The concept of police legitimacy has gained significant attention in criminology and criminal justice research, as it pertains to the public's perception of the police and their willingness to cooperate with law enforcement. The Police Legitimacy Scale (PLS) is a widely used measure designed to assess individuals' perceptions of police legitimacy. However, its validity and applicability in different cultural contexts, such as Canada, warrant empirical examination. This study aims to validate the Police Legitimacy Scale using a Canadian sample. Participants from diverse regions of Canada completed the PLS, along with additional measures assessing attitudes towards the police, trust in law enforcement, and perceptions of procedural justice. Confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analysis were conducted to assess the scale's factorial structure and internal consistency. Furthermore, convergent and discriminant validity analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between the PLS and related constructs. The findings provide evidence supporting the validity and reliability of the Police Legitimacy Scale within the Canadian context, thus establishing its utility for future research on public perceptions of police legitimacy in Canada.

Police legitimacy, scale validation, Canadian sample

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