Thoughts on Defunding the Police

The defund the police movement is a misnomer affecting police operations. However, defunding the police means reducing the number of officers on the force. The simple math is most police agencies’ budget is 80 to 90 percent of personnel costs. One police officer costs over 100k for salary and benefits. If you use round numbers and one full-time equivalent position (FTE) in a budget of one million dollars is about 10 officers. If you cut about 15 to 20 percent of a budget, you cut one or two officers to make that happen.  So, defunding the police by reducing the budget by 20 percent in this scenario is eliminating two officers.

The defund the police movement intent may be more about operations and policy and not the number of officers, but that narrative is not what one comes to understand, depending on where you are on this issue; pro defund the police want better operations and policy, anti defund the Police hear fewer officers on the force. This conflict of understanding is common on most hot-button issues. Each side has to have a short slogan or catchphrase to ensure and maintain support. Imagine if folks tried to listen and understand each other. 

I don't support defunding the police because it reduces the number of officers, but I am also concerned that the escalating cost of an officer, is not sustainable. We are headed for police officers at entry level making 200k on average regardless of the agency size. I am also aware that policies change for the betterment of society or the safety of the officer. The latter is not raised as much as it should be. When I started as an officer, it was legal to shoot any fleeing felon. The law changed and now such actions are illegal.  When I started, bulletproof vests were optional and the officer had to pay out of his pocket. Now, a bullet-resistant vest with effectiveness standards is provided for the officer and canines. 

So, what do we do with the part of the government, always accessible, 24/7, and with no days off? I suggest we pay closer attention to the two police agencies inside the whole agency. The uniform officers vs the investigators. When I was a detective, I did the long tedious process of managing the serious reported crimes for follow-up. It's the busiest job in a police agency, by far.  Once I determined the suspect for arrest, I hardly ever made the arrest, I gave the warrant, signed by me to the uniformed officers to make the actual arrest. This is a building block for rapport between uniformed and plainclothes officers. 

Oftentimes, police unions stress the importance of street strength or how many officers are actually on the street vs officers in support roles, sitting behind a desk, this characterization wrongfully, diminishes the role of investigators in these roles, and only adds to the workload. When serious crimes occur and it seems the police can't operate fast enough, I would suggest there is likely a shortage of detectives available.  So, getting to a call for help quickly is very important, but equally so is the follow-up by the investigator.  So Justice delayed is not justice denied. 

So the next time you hear a call to defund the police, try to see beyond the obvious, and try to understand what's going on in the world of peace officers in our communities.