Law enforcement agencies serve a crucial function. They keep communities safe by tackling crimes. However, in order to perform their role as expected, the agencies require funding. The funding allows them to hire enough personnel and purchase the equipment that they need to combat crime. Local, state and the federal government have strived to ensure that law enforcement agencies in the US are adequately funded. However, faced with economic hardships, the nation has been forced to slash the amount of funding that it allocates to law enforcement. It is unfortunate that the problem of insufficient funding is not limited to the US. Law enforcement organizations in such other countries as the United Kingdom also lament that the budgetary allocations they receive are inadequate. The budget reductions have had adverse impacts on the management of law enforcement and if the police and other law enforcement agents are to be successful in executing their mandate, they should be provided with all the financial resources they need.
One of the effects that budget cuts have had on the management of law enforcement is reducing the availability and presence of police services. Schoen (2013) authored an article in which he sheds light on the damage that law enforcement in the US has suffered as a result of budget cuts. According to Schoen, as a result of these cuts, police officers have been forced to reduce the level of their engagement with communities. Schoen identifies Trenton, New Jersey as among the cities most affected by budget cuts. As police withdraw from communities, the city has witnessed a surge in crime rates. Homicides are among the crimes which have become more prevalent in the city. The situation in Trenton represents the impact of budget cuts. These cuts rob officers of the resources that they need to combat crime. Communities are therefore left vulnerable and without the support that they need to feel secure. If governments in the US continue to reduce budgets for law enforcement, the nation should expect that its law enforcement agencies will simply be unable to maintain law and order.
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Law enforcement agencies have broad mandates. In addition to keeping communities safe, the agencies are also charged with the responsibility of tackling such crimes as terrorism. It has become increasingly difficult for the agencies to fulfill their mandate fully. This situation is the result of budget cuts. In such countries as the UK, the police and other law enforcement agents have been forced to abandon certain elements of their mandate and focus their energies and resources on programs that are regarded as high priority. For example, UK police are now neglecting responding to calls from distraught members of the public who need police assistance. Instead, the police are now directing their effort at fighting terrorism (Dodd, 2018). The dedication that these officers are demonstrating is indeed commendable. However, as they focus their energies on terrorism, the police leave communities exposed to the threat of crime. It is important to remember that this situation is the outcome of budget cuts and that with adequate funding, the law enforcement agencies would not have to abandon any area of their mandate. Therefore, in order to improve the management of law enforcement, there is a need for policy makers to ensure that the programs operated by police departments and other law enforcement agencies are adequately financed.
Apart from combating crime, law enforcement agencies are also involved in the reformation and rehabilitation of offenders. For example, across the US, police departments have set up programs designed to help drug addicts make healthier and wiser decisions. These programs rely heavily on the funding provided by local, state and federal authorities. It therefore follows that as these authorities reduce the budgetary provisions they set aside for law enforcement agencies, these programs have suffered. It has been shown that as a result of reduced budgets, law enforcement agencies have either had to scale down various rehabilitation programs or scrap them altogether (“The Impact of Federal”, n.d). This situation has essentially reversed the progress that the US had made in rehabilitation. Offenders are left exposed to the allure of criminal activity and such other behaviors as substance abuse. Communities have also suffered. This is because the communities are forced to accept offenders who are not fully rehabilitated and still pose a threat. It is clear that the impact of budget cuts extend beyond eroding the effectiveness of the law enforcement agencies; they have also heightened insecurity.
Community policing is one of the critical components of the management of law enforcement. Basically, through community policing, law enforcement agencies enter into collaborative partnerships with communities. Among other things, community policing provides communities with a platform to share information with the agencies and to enhance the level of trust in these agencies (Parlow, 2012). Additionally, community policing makes it possible for the agencies to identify crime hotspots and focus their efforts on these areas. Given the important role that community policing plays, one would expect that it would be spared budget cuts. Unfortunately, this is not the case. In response to budget reductions, law enforcement agencies have been forced to either roll back or eliminate community policing programs entirely (Merrick, 2018). The fact that police department are axing community policing initiatives indicate that the budget cuts are severe. Those responsible for law enforcement budgeting need to develop solutions that enable police departments to protect such critical programs as community policing.
Above, it has been shown that budget cuts have adversely affected crime fighting efforts, community policing and offender rehabilitation. These are not the only aspects of the management of law enforcement that have witnessed the damaging effects of the budget cuts. A survey that sought the views of law enforcement practitioners revealed that the delivery of social work services and juvenile programs have also suffered (“Survey Reveals the Impact”, 2013). These services are indeed vital as they enable law enforcement agencies to function effectively. For example, by working with social workers, police officers are able to deliver support to victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. In the face of budget cuts, the departments have had to do away with these vital services and programs. For instance, with reduced funding, these departments are unable to hire social work practitioners. Other departments are unable to pay their personnel. There is no question that the budget cuts make it nearly impossible for the management of law enforcement to be conducted smoothly and effectively.
Law enforcement agencies have displayed tremendous resilience and adaptability while faced with budget cuts. For example, as Mendel, Fyfe and Heyer (2016) records, the agencies have adopted such measures as merging police units and departments. These measures are intended to enable the agencies to withstand the hardships brought about by the slashing of funding. However, according to Mendel and his colleagues, the interventions that the agencies have implemented have had some unintended adverse consequences. For example, it has become increasingly difficult for police units that have been merged to ensure accountability and deliver services to the public in an efficient fashion (Mendel, Fyfe & Heyer, 2016). In essence, the desperate attempts by units to address the problems caused by the budget cuts have reduced these units into inefficient organizations which are simply ill-equipped to deliver quality services to the public.
In an earlier section, it was pointed out that law enforcement agencies are struggling to pay their personnel. This was confirmed by Pooler (2016) who determined that in reaction to budget cuts, police departments and other organizations that offer services to the public have implemented salary freezes and slashed compensation. It is generally understood that fair and handsome compensation helps to motivate employees. Given that officers have had their salaries reduced, it is reasonable to suppose that these officers are demoralized and no longer derive much satisfaction from their jobs. The low levels of motivation and satisfaction are certainly reflected in how police engage with the public. An officer whose work is not rewarded is likely to be frustrated and therefore unable to soberly serve the public. It would not be surprising if the officer neglected his duties or used excessive force. There is no question that the public bears the brunt of budget cuts. These cuts have stripped law enforcement agencies of their incentive to fulfill their mandate, rendering communities vulnerable. If the agencies are to faithfully serve the public, policymakers should begin by ensuring that the agencies are fairly and adequately funded.
In closing, the safety of any community depends largely on the effectiveness of the local law enforcement agency. To perform their roles as required, the agencies should be provided with the financial resources they need. Unfortunately, in the recent past, agencies across the US have seen their budgets reduced. These reductions have inspired concerns and fears that the agencies will be crippled. The concerns are indeed valid. When they lack sufficient resources, law enforcement agencies are unable to pay their personnel, sustain vital programs and invest in initiatives for tackling crime. As a result, communities witness drastic surges in crime rates. Concerned stakeholders should take all necessary steps to ensure that the work of law enforcement agencies is not frustrated by such issues as budget cuts.
References
Dodd, V. (2019). Policing at “tipping point” over budget cuts, warns police chief. The Guardian. Retrieved July 9, 2019 from https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/10/policing-at-tipping-point-over-budget-cuts-warns-police-chief
The impact of federal budget cuts on state and local public safety. (n.d). National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators. Retrieved July 9, 2019 from http://www.navaa.org/budget/13/docs/NCJA-sequestration.pdf
Mendel, J., Fyfe, N. R., & Heyer, G. (2016). Does police size matter? A review of the evidence regarding restructuring police organisations. Police Practice and Research, 18 (1), 3-14.
Merrick, R. (2018). Police cuts: loss of 7,000 neighborhood officers in three years ‘putting public at risk’, Labor warns. Independent. Retrieved July 9, 2019 from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/police-cuts-neighbourhood-officers-violent-crime-rising-diane-abbott-theresa-may-a8508646.html
Parlow, M. J. (2012). The great recession and its implications for community policing. Georgia State University Law Review, 28 (4), 1193-1238.
Pooler, M. (2016). Cutting compensation: effects of budget cuts on public servants. In Public Safety. Retrieved July 9, 2019 from https://inpublicsafety.com/2016/02/cutting-compensation-effects-of-budget-cuts-on-public-servants/
Schoen, J. W. (2013). Thinning blue line: police cuts cripple cities. CNBC. Retrieved July 9, 2019 from https://www.cnbc.com/2013/11/22/broken-city-fixes-start-with-public-safety.html
Survey reveals the impact of federal budget cuts on law enforcement and criminal justice practitioners. Vera Institute of Justice. Retrieved July 9, 2019 from https://www.vera.org/newsroom/survey-reveals-the-impact-of-federal-budget-cuts-on-law-enforcement-and-criminal-justice-practitioners
