Confidence in the police in Minas Gerais: the effect of perceived efficiency and individual contact

In this article, we aim to identify and analyze key factors impacting trust in the Minas Gerais State Police. To achieve this goal, we used the survey 'Victimization and Fear Perception in Belo Horizonte and Minas Gerais', 2009, conducted in 29 cities. Apart from Belo Horizonte, the survey covered 5 cities in its metropolitan area, 7 cities considered regional poles and 16 other towns with less than 10,000 inhabitants. Some of the results are: individuals confuse police's functions with criminal justice's system's functions; individuals with lower socioeconomic status, that suffer greater police repression, are those who most trust the police; in smaller towns, where the police has closer contact to citizens and criminality is reduced, the police receives more trust than in larger ones; the perception of efficiency in solving problems related to violence produces the biggest positive effects on the level of institutional trust. Adapted from the source document.