Bridging the Trust Gap: A Mixed-Methods Study of Paradoxical Leadership in Equitable Public Safety Reform

Lopez, Irving

doi:10.2478/raft-2025-0059

Abstract

Automated traffic enforcement technologies, introduced to reduce human bias, have often reproduced racial inequities and eroded public trust. This paper presents a leadership-centered framework and a pre-registered mixed-methods protocol to examine how paradoxical leadership, Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) quality, and Kotter’s Eight-Step change practices shape equitable, trusted deployment of automated enforcement. The quantitative component surveys N = 250 residents in three U.S. metropolitan areas using validated scales (Paradoxical Leadership, LMX-MDM, trust/procedural fairness), testing bivariate associations (Pearson’s r) and multivariable models (linear regression with LMX moderation). The qualitative component comprises n = 30 semi-structured interviews (community members, city officials, enforcement officers), analyzed in NVivo via inductive-deductive coding and co-occurrence mapping. A convergent integration produces joint displays linking statistical relationships to experiential narratives. Planned outputs include equity dashboards, community audit templates, and testable propositions for future trials. By coupling a rigorously specified design with a guiding framework, this paper provides a feasible, transparent pathway for ethical, participatory reform of automated public safety technologies.

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Bridging the Trust Gap: A Mixed-Methods Study of Paradoxical Leadership in Equitable Public Safety Reform

Abstract

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