What Does Abolish the Police Mean in Practice
Abolish the police refers to proposals that reduce or eliminate traditional law enforcement agencies and replace them with alternative public safety systems. In the United States, total police spending reached an estimated $115 billion in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, while the FBI reported more than 10 million arrests nationwide in 2022. The movement gained visibility after the 2020 protests, and several cities created task forces to study redirecting funds to mental health, housing, and community services read more on Forbes.
Supporters argue that investment in education, healthcare, and housing can reduce the conditions that lead to crime, while opponents worry about response times and violent crime rates. The Brennan Center for Justice found that violent crime fell in many cities that cut police budgets modestly during 2020 and 2021, but homicide spikes in 2020 and 2021 complicated the data read more on Brennan Center.
What the Data Shows About Police Budgets and Outcomes
U.S. Police Spending Trends
Police spending in the United States grew from about $42 billion in 1977 to over $115 billion in 2023, outpacing inflation and population growth. The Police Foundation reports that the average U.S. police officer salary exceeded $67,000 in 2023, and many departments face recruitment and retention challenges. Cities such as Los Angeles and New York allocate more than $10 billion annually to public safety, including police, fire, and corrections read more on Forbes.
Crime Rates and Police Presence
The FBI Uniform Crime Report shows that the national violent crime rate in 2022 was about 380 incidents per 100,000 residents, while property crime remained above 2,000 per 100,000. Research from the RAND Corporation found that some community-based programs, such as crisis response teams, reduced arrests and use of force without increasing violent crime. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that police cleared fewer than 45% of violent crimes and about 18% of property crimes in recent years, raising questions about effectiveness read more on BJS.
What Are the Alternatives to Traditional Policing
Community Safety Models
Several cities have tested unarmed crisis responders for mental health calls, homelessness, and low-level disputes. CAHOOTS in Eugene, Oregon, handled about 20% of the city's emergency calls in 2022, with a budget of around $15 million, compared with the city's total public safety spending of over $200 million. Denver's STAR program dispatched medics and mental health professionals to nonviolent calls, and early data showed reduced arrests and use of force read more on Forbes.