Public trust in Australian police is declining. COVID sparked it – but there’s more to the story

Kelly Hine; Katie Davenport-Klunder; Nadine McKillop

doi:10.64628/AA.pvnascyk6

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Public trust in Australian police is declining. COVID sparked it – but there’s more to the story

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Public trust in Australian police is declining. COVID sparked it – but there’s more to the story

Kelly Hine, Katie Davenport-Klunder and Nadine McKillop

The Conversation, Vol.29 May 2026

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64628/AA.pvnascyk6

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Abstract

Police administration, procedures and practice

Law enforcement

Police

policing

Australian police

COVID-19

New research released by the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) confirms what many Australians may already feel: trust in police is declining. BOSCAR has been surveying NSW residents since 2007 and in releasing the 2026 data, the organisation states: Confidence in the NSW criminal justice system has declined significantly since 2019 across all measures, and is at the lowest levels since BOCSAR’s survey began in 2007. This comes just months after a 2026 Australian Productivity Commission report found perceptions of fair and equal treatment by police has declined more than 20% in the past decade. So why is this happening, and why does it matter?

Details

Title: Public trust in Australian police is declining. COVID sparked it – but there’s more to the story
Authors: Kelly Hine - University of the Sunshine Coast
Katie Davenport-Klunder - University of the Sunshine Coast
Nadine McKillop - University of the Sunshine Coast
Publication details: The Conversation, Vol.29 May 2026
Publisher: Conversation Media Group
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.64628/AA.pvnascyk6
ISSN: 2201-5639
Copyright note: © The Conversation Media Group. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Organisation Unit: School of Law and Society
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991232501702621
Output Type: Magazine article

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