The Representation of Humanistic Policing in Digital Communication

Abstract

The rapid development of digital communication has encouraged police institutions to utilize social media not only as a channel for disseminating information but also as a space for constructing institutional meaning and legitimacy. This study aims to examine how humanistic policing is represented in digital communication through a video published on the Resmob Brebes Police YouTube channel. A qualitative approach with a constructivist paradigm was employed using Stuart Hall's theory of representation. The object of analysis was the YouTube video entitled 77-Year-Old Grandmother Robbed and Assaulted: Within Eight Hours, the Resmob Unit of Brebes Police Successfully Arrested the Perpetrator. Data were analyzed by interpreting representational elements, including visual composition, institutional symbols, gestures, facial expressions, verbal narration, background music, cinematography, and framing. The findings reveal four major forms of representation: victim vulnerability as the moral foundation of police action, interpersonal communication as a practice of humanistic policing, professionalism represented through communication-based investigation, and a narrative shift from a law enforcement-centered narrative to a victim-centered narrative. These findings demonstrate that police success is represented not merely through the arrest of offenders but also through victim protection, assistance, and recovery. This study contributes to the literature on digital communication by demonstrating that audiovisual narrative structures play a significant role in constructing institutional legitimacy and the representation of humanistic policing.