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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 10:05 pm
Time: 10:05 pm
Results for economics of policing
2 results foundAuthor: Ruddell, Rick Title: The Economics of Canadian Policing Five Years Into the Great Recession Summary: Since the start of the Great Recession in 2008 there has been a growing interest in applying business models and cost-benefit analyses to policing, especially in terms of holding police services more accountable for their performance as publically funded agencies. A review of the policing literature reveals an increased number of references to value for money (Barton & Barton, 2011) and return on investment from dollars spent on policing (Boyd, Geoghegan & Gibbs, 2011; Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary [HMIC], 2013). Police and political leaders, as well as academics have used the economic crisis as an opportunity to advance the issues of reimagining or re-envisioning policing. While Canada has weathered the worst of the economic crisis that started in 2008 with fewer negative effects than our counterparts in the United Kingdom, the euro zone, and the United States, there has been a growing concern about the increasing costs of policing, which has been called unsustainable by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (2013). Every Canadian municipality is grappling with increasing demands for civic services, including policing, and few local politicians want to increase taxes. With respect to the Ontario Provincial Police, for instance, changes in the manner in which their costs are recovered from municipalities have led to a growing concern from rural community leaders: Brennan (2014, n.p.) noted that "prior to 1998 rural municipalities did not pay for policing." These debates are not isolated to Ontario, and city counselors throughout the nation are trying to balance public safety and their ability to pay for policing. Containing policing costs while ensuring that core policing services (e.g., those related to emergency response, criminal investigations and enforcing laws) are of key importance to policymakers and members of the Canadian policing industry. This is evidenced by an increased focus on the "economics of policing" in the research literature (see Griffiths & Stamatakis, 2012; Leuprecht, 2014; Ruddell & Jones, 2013), and several conferences and summits held throughout 2013-2014 (Charlottetown in January and September, 2013 and Vancouver in March 2014). Topics related to the economics of policing have been addressed at the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police 2013 annual meeting and were a key subject addressed by the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security throughout 2013. In many respects, funding for Canadian policing is more stable than in other English-speaking common-law nations. Police services throughout the United States have been experiencing funding cutbacks and some jurisdictions disbanded their police services in favour of contract policing (U.S. Department of Justice, 2012), while other municipalities have replaced publically operated police with private police agencies. In the United Kingdom, policing budgets are projected to be cut by as much as one-third. Given these funding shortfalls, police leaders in these nations are being forced to rethink the manner in which services are delivered, who will deliver them, and how to best manage cuts to police budgets without threatening core policing services. Canadian police services have the luxury of time to scan the environment for threats as well as opportunities for change, and learn what the police in other nations are doing in response to budget cutbacks. It is possible that the lessons learned from our counterparts will enable Canadian police services to better leverage their resources. Former Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, speaking at the Economics of Policing Summit in January 2013, observed that, "Police services face two options - they can do nothing and eventually be forced to cut drastically, as we have seen in some countries; or they can be proactive, get ahead of the curve, and have greater flexibility in designing and implementing both incremental and meaningful structural reforms." As part of a proactive strategy that examines the economics of policing in the Canadian context, a key goal of this study is to review the economics, management, and policing literatures to identify current trends in respect to the relationships between economics and policing, including how police services in other nations have managed austerity. The main findings from this review are that: - There were 11 recessions between 1948 and 2011 and each one had a different set of causes, economic consequences, as well as recovery times and these three factors influence crime rates in an inconsistent manner. - The global economic recovery has been slow and another downturn could have a significant impact upon the Canadian economy, and in turn, police funding. - Police services in the United Kingdom and the United States have responded to the latest recession by streamlining operations and attempting to reduce demand. - While police services in other nations have been successful in preserving core functions after budget cuts there is some question as to whether these strategies are sustainable over the long-term. - Long-term austerity policing may negatively influence citizen perceptions of the police and has been shown to reduce the morale of police service staff in the United Kingdom. - Cost-benefit analyses consistently reveal that investing in policing is a cost-effective public policy. - Recent research demonstrates that officer effectiveness can be enhanced through directed patrol or "hot spots" policing. - The RAND cost of crime calculator shows that adding police officers in jurisdictions with high crime rates is a good investment in public safety. - Applying the RAND calculator to Saskatchewan policing shows a return of $1.70 for every additional dollar spent on police officers. - Deploying officers in traffic enforcement roles demonstrates a greater cost saving benefit to society than in general duty policing. - Crime reduction strategies must be developed at the local level, as an approach that is effective in one jurisdiction may be unsuccessful when exported to another community. - The current recession has led to many scholars calling for a 'reengineering' or 'remaking' of police operations although there is little consensus on what those changes should entail or who should decide what changes should occur. - Most policing studies focus upon big city policing and there is almost no published research on best practices, cost effectiveness or measuring the performance of rural police services. Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2014. 100p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 18, 2015 at: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/lbrr/archives/cnmcs-plcng/cn80407908-eng.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Canada URL: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/lbrr/archives/cnmcs-plcng/cn80407908-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 135694 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal JusticeEconomics and CrimeEconomics of PolicingPolice AdministrationPolicing |
Author: Ruddell, Rick Title: Austerity Policing: Responsing to Crime During Economic Downturns Summary: Governments at all levels are grappling with the challenges of increasing demands on police services at the same time that their budgets are threatened with cuts. Although Canada's economy has weathered the financial crisis that started in 2008 with fewer disruptions than in the United Kingdom or the United States, there are signs that global economic conditions, especially in the European Union, continue to be uncertain and those challenges could have a substantial impact upon economic conditions in Canada. Economic uncertainty can have an impact on all government services, including policing. Not only are police budgets under increasing scrutiny but economic disruption, such as high rates of unemployment or inflation, may contribute to an increased demand for police services. Public Safety Canada (2012) identified the following challenges associated with Canadian policing costs: Increasing demands on police combined with decreasing crime rates; Escalating policing costs that are increasingly unsustainable in the current fiscal environment; Limited clarity on how police funding is spent and its efficiency and effectiveness, and the; A need for coordination, focus and leadership. The importance of containing policing costs while ensuring that core policing services (e.g., those related to emergency response, criminal investigations and enforcing laws) are not jeopardized was a key issue examined at the Economics of Policing Summit in January 2013. In many respects, funding for Canadian policing is more stable than in other English speaking common-law nations. Police services throughout the United States have been experiencing funding cutbacks and some jurisdictions have disbanded their police services in favour of contract policing (U.S. Department of Justice, 2012). In the United Kingdom, policing budgets are projected to be cut by as much as one-third. Given these funding shortfalls, police services in those nations are being forced to rethink the manner in which services are delivered, who will deliver them, and how to best manage cuts to police budgets without threatening core policing services. Canadian police services have the luxury of time to scan the environment for threats as well as opportunities for change, and learn what the police in other nations are doing in response to budget cutbacks. It is possible that the lessons learned from our counterparts will enable Canadian police services to better leverage their resources. Former Public Safety Minister Toews, speaking at the Economics of Policing Summit in January 2013, observed that: Police services face two options - they can do nothing and eventually be forced to cut drastically, as we have seen in some countries; or they can be proactive, get ahead of the curve, and have greater flexibility in designing and implementing both incremental and meaningful structural reforms. It is critical that all levels of government and the entire policing community be engaged in innovation and reform efforts, so that we can turn a fiscal challenge into an opportunity to sustain our police services and better serve Canadians. As part of a proactive strategy that examines the economics of policing in the Canadian context a key goal of this study is to review the economics, management, and policing literatures to identify current trends in respect to the relationships between economics and policing, including how police services in other nations have managed austerity. The main findings from this review are that: - There were 11 recessions between 1948 and 2011 and each one has a different set of causes, economic consequences, as well as recovery times and these three factors influence crime rates in an inconsistent manner. - The global economic recovery has been slow and another downturn could have a significant impact upon the Canadian economy, and in turn, police funding. - Police services in the United Kingdom and the United States have responded to the latest recession by cutting costs and attempting to reduce demand. - While police services in other nations have been successful in preserving core functions there is some question as to whether these strategies are sustainable over the long-term. - Long-term austerity policing may negatively influence citizen perceptions of the police and contribute to lower morale of police service staff. - Cost-benefit analyses consistently reveal that investing in policing is a cost-effective public policy. - The RAND cost of crime calculator shows that adding police officers in jurisdictions with high crime rates is a good investment in public safety. - Crime reduction strategies must be developed at the local level, as an approach that is effective in one jurisdiction may be unsuccessful when exported to another community. - The current recession has led to many scholars calling for a "reengineering" or "remaking" of police operations although there is little consensus on what those changes should entail or who should decide what changes should occur. - The newly developed full-circle community safety model may be a useful framework for evaluating police performance. - Most policing studies focus upon big city policing and there is almost no published research on best practices, cost effectiveness or measuring the performance of rural police services. Details: Regina, SASK: University of Regina, Collaborative Centre for, Justice & Safety, 2013. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 18, 2015 at: http://www.justiceandsafety.ca/rsu_docs/ccjs_austerity-policing-1028.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Canada URL: http://www.justiceandsafety.ca/rsu_docs/ccjs_austerity-policing-1028.pdf Shelf Number: 135695 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisEconomics of CrimeEconomics of PolicingEconomyPolice AdministrationPolicingSocioeconomic Conditions and Crime |