Abstract
This study examines public sentiment towards policing in England
through a viral 13-second social media altercation involving
Metropolitan Police officers in Kingston upon Thames, London. A
dataset of 5,416 interactions was extracted via NodeXL and
analysed for thematic clustering, sentiment categorisation, and
emotional lexicon mapping. The findings show that public
engagement with the altercation was characterised by criticism of
the police, with dominant themes of incompetence, gendered
perceptions of officer capability, and systemic failures within
British policing. Sentiment analysis revealed an overwhelming
prevalence of negative sentiment, with anger and disgust as the
most frequently expressed emotions. The data also highlighted the
delegitimisation of police authority, with social media narratives
positioning law enforcement as ineffective. Emoji analysis
reinforced these sentiments, with laughter and sarcasm
used to mock the police, while terms such as ‘wet wipes’
and ‘chocolate teapot’ used to describe their perceived
ineffectiveness. We demonstrate the role of social media in shaping
and amplifying public perception of the police. We discuss the
short-lived yet intense nature of social media outrage, the
challenges of digital policing narratives, and the need for the police
to engage proactively online to rebuild public trust.
through a viral 13-second social media altercation involving
Metropolitan Police officers in Kingston upon Thames, London. A
dataset of 5,416 interactions was extracted via NodeXL and
analysed for thematic clustering, sentiment categorisation, and
emotional lexicon mapping. The findings show that public
engagement with the altercation was characterised by criticism of
the police, with dominant themes of incompetence, gendered
perceptions of officer capability, and systemic failures within
British policing. Sentiment analysis revealed an overwhelming
prevalence of negative sentiment, with anger and disgust as the
most frequently expressed emotions. The data also highlighted the
delegitimisation of police authority, with social media narratives
positioning law enforcement as ineffective. Emoji analysis
reinforced these sentiments, with laughter and sarcasm
used to mock the police, while terms such as ‘wet wipes’
and ‘chocolate teapot’ used to describe their perceived
ineffectiveness. We demonstrate the role of social media in shaping
and amplifying public perception of the police. We discuss the
short-lived yet intense nature of social media outrage, the
challenges of digital policing narratives, and the need for the police
to engage proactively online to rebuild public trust.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 5 Sept 2025 |
| Event | 25th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology (EUROCRIM2025) - Τhe American College of Greece, Athens, Greece Duration: 3 Sept 2025 → 6 Sept 2025 https://eurocrim2025.com/ |
Conference
| Conference | 25th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology (EUROCRIM2025) |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Greece |
| City | Athens |
| Period | 3/09/25 → 6/09/25 |
| Internet address |