Policing social distancing : gaining and maintaining compliance in the age of coronavirus

Drawing on motivational posturing theory (MPT) and procedural justice theory (PJT) thispaper makes recommendations for how best to secure compliance with social distancingregulations. Applying those theories to – mostly observational – data from a study on the useand impact of penalty notices for disorder, the influences on cooperation during police-citizenencounters are explored. Whilst focusing on the English data/regulations, as both MPT and PJThave been tested internationally, the conclusions have relevance beyond these shores. Thepaper proposes a sixth posture – compulsion, a form of resistant compliance – to the five setout by MPT. Focusing attention not just on whether compliance is achieved but how, recognisesthe risk to future legitimacy posed by only achieving compliance through coercion or the threatthereof. Lessons from the research are applied to policing social distancing, with regards to:securing compliance during interactions, self-regulation and enforcement action and how topreserve police legitimacy