LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPENDITURES AND URBAN CRIME (FROM ECONOMICS OF CRIME AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, 1976 BY LEE R MCPHETERS AND WILLIAM B STRONGE - SEE NCJ-37726)

• NCJ Number: 37745
• Author(s): L R MCPHETERS; W B STRONGE
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 21 pages
• Corporate Author: Charles C. Thomas
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AFTER CRITIQUE OF EARLIER STUDIES WHICH FOUND A CORRELATION BETWEEN HIGHER POLICE EXPENDITURES AND HIGHER CRIME RATES, THE AUTHORS PRESENT AN ALTERNATE MODEL WHICH CONFIRMS THAT INCREASED POLICE EXPENDITURES DETER CRIME.

Abstract

THE AUTHORS STATE THAT MOST PREVIOUS STUDIES OF POLICE EXPENDITURE FUNCTIONS HAVE NEGLECTED TO INCLUDE CRIME AS A DETERMINANT OF SUCH EXPENDITURES. FURTHER, THEY NOTE THAT WHILE THEORETICAL ANALYSES OF THE RELATION BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY AND CRIME SUGGEST THAT INCREASED POLICE EXPENDITURES WILL HAVE A DETERRENT EFFECT ON CRIME, EMPIRICAL TREATMENTS OF THIS PROPOSITION HAVE FOUND A PERVERSE POSITIVE RELATION BETWEEN THESE TWO VARIABLES. THIS PAPER CORRECTS THESE SHORTCOMINGS OF EARLIER STUDIES BY ANALYZING CRIME AND POLICE EXPENDITURES WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF A SIMULTANEOUS SYSTEM. A CRIME FUNCTION IS ESTIMATED, UTILIZING AS EXPLANATORY VARIABLES CONSTRUCTED INDICES OF CERTAIN CENTRAL CITY CHARACTERISTICS, A LAGGED CRIME VARIABLE TO ALLOW FOR A GRADUAL IMPACT OF THE CAUSES OF CRIME ON CHANGES IN CRIME RATES, AND PER CAPITA POLICE EXPENDITURES. THE RESULTS CONFIRM WHAT ECONOMIC THEORIES OF CRIME HAVE SUGGESTED: INCREASES IN POLICE EXPENDITURES HAVE A DETERRENT EFFECT ON CRIME. ADDITIONALLY, AN ESTIMATED POLICE EXPENDITURE EQUATION INDICATES THAT THESE EXPENDITURES ARE RELATED TO CRIME, A BUDGET CONSTRAINT VARIABLE, AND THE COMMUNITY'S TASTE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES. ANALYSIS OF THE IMPLIED MULTIPLIERS SHOWS THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPENDITURES ARE ESSENTIALLY UNDERTAKEN TO CORRECT OR RESPOND TO PAST INCREASES IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, WHICH HELPS TO EXPLAIN THE PERVERSE POSITIVE RELATION BETWEEN CRIME AND POLICE EXPENDITURES FOUND IN EARLIER STUDIES. THE AUTHORS CONCLUDE THAT THIS RESULT, COUPLED WITH THE RATHER POTENT INFLUENCE OF THE CONSTRUCTED INDICES OF CENTRAL CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS, SUGGESTS THAT SOCIETY MUST MOUNT A TWO-PRONGED ATTACK UPON CRIME: CORRECTION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, AND SUPPORT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ALLOCATIONS TO COMBAT CRIME. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)