Which statement reflects Peel's principle about public cooperation?

• A. Public opinion should guide all police actions.
• B. The ability of the police to perform their duties depends upon public approval of their actions.
• C. Police must secure the cooperation of the public in voluntary observance of the law in order to secure and maintain the respect of the public.
• D. Police should rely on physical force when persuasion fails.

Answer: (B)

Public cooperation and legitimacy underpin Peel’s approach to policing. He believed that the police are the public and the public are the police, so the authority to act rests on the consent and approval of the people they serve. When the public approves of how the police behave and handle their duties, the police can perform effectively with greater voluntary compliance and trust, rather than relying on force. That is why the statement that the police’s ability to perform their duties depends on public approval best captures Peel’s principle.

Public opinion guiding every action would be too absolute and unpredictable, which isn’t what Peel argued. While voluntary observance and respect come from that legitimacy, the emphasis is on approval as the basis for effective policing, not merely on coercive force after persuasion fails.