“Should I call the police?” Exploring public views on whether to invoke police in incidents involving people with vulnerabilities

This study explores people’s thresholds and reasons for calling the police in response to incidents of uncertainty. It draws upon focus group deliberations and a nationally representative survey in which participants were presented with scenarios invoking vulnerability via depictions of disorderly behaviour and potentially harmful activity. People want and expect police to respond rapidly in situations where vulnerable people are identified as presenting immediate risk, while also recognising that follow-up intervention from specialised services may be necessary. When deciding to call the police, people think about the situational contingencies and readily available means by which an incident might be brought under control, rather than simply their opinions of the police. Distrust in and low expectations of police can be superseded by strategic recourse to police as a mechanism for restoring social order given their situationally justified capacity for force.