Police budgets are often TOO DAMN HIGH, and their results don’t often justify their budgets. That’s why reformers question how police departments are spending money and how much funding police departments ACTUALLY need. The answers may shock you.
Policing and incarceration cost the USA over $100 billion annually - that’s money that could be going to under-resourced communities!
An even bigger problem with skyrocketing expenses is the fact there’s no evidence that more cops and more police spending equal less crime.
Keep in mind, the money being spent doesn’t include funds paid for misconduct. Cities - that is, taxpayers - often have to pay for police corruption, killings, and more. For example, the city of Chicago spent over $100 million on this in 2018. Los Angeles has paid nearly $1 billion between 2005 and 2018.
Increasing scrutiny around heavy-handed policing and punitive measures that lead to mass incarceration have left many asking, “What’s the best way to fix the problem?” This is why some suggest cutting police budgets and why activists in cities like Chicago fight new police expenditure.
The money that goes to cops and even prisons could go into education, healthcare, and more. Doing so has been proven to help strengthen communities - and that’s a proven way to fight crime effectively at the root.