How the War on Cops Causes Police Budgets to Increase
And why we STILL need laws to prohibit defunding the police
Attempts to defund the police have generally been a flop. Many of the same cities that have succeeded in diverting funds from police departments are also those that have experienced more mayhem.
Most of the American citizenry doesn’t want any part of this agenda. Politicians who want to be re-elected have all but ditched the term. Even expressions like re-imagining the police have become suspect.
Defunding the police has never been just about financials, of course. It’s yet another symbol of deep disdain some have for law enforcement.
So while Defund the police! may not be the loud rallying cry it once was, the contempt some have for law enforcement hasn’t dissipated. It’s just that, for now, the focus has been redirected to other initiatives. These include zealous prosecutions of police officers, attempts to eradicate quality immunity protections for police officers, trying to explain away why cops don’t need extra legislative protection like that provided via the Protect & Serve Act, and voting to oust officers from schools.
As long as there are those in this country with a deep hatred for law enforcement (relatively few as they may be), we need laws to protect our police officers, and by extension, the communities they serve.
Even cries to Defund the police! can surface at any time. We’re not by any means safely past that hurdle yet and can’t afford to be complacent.
An Important Arizona State Bill!
It’s for some of these reasons that state Rep. David Marshall (also a former police officer) introduced Arizona House Bill 2120. This thoughtful bill prohibits a city or town within the state from reducing its annual police department’s operating budget below the budget of the previous year.
The bill recently passed in the Arizona House and is now being considered by the Arizona Senate. If you live in Arizona, please encourage your state senator to support H.B. 2120 and send a note of thanks to Rep. Marshall.
For more details, please read my presser about this bill for National Police Association.
Why Police Budgets Necessitate Increases
The opposition claims that bills like Arizona House H.B. 2120 aren’t necessary, in part, because police budgets are increasing. All budgets, whether personal, corporate, or governmental, need to be adjusted at times to accommodate for growth and change. Police department budgets are no different.
The following is by no means an exhaustive report on the state of police budgets. As time permits, I’ll be doing deeper dives into select police budgets. It should however, give you a better understanding of why police departments may need to expand their budgets.
Where the Money Goes
The majority of police budgets are allocated for officer salaries, benefits, and pensions. There are a number of traditional factors that can create the need for an expanded budget. These include:
cost-of-living increases;
merit raises (if offered);
the shift of federal or state funds;
a city’s population growth or annexing of a town.
Let’s look at two other newer factors causing some police budgets to increase.
Higher Salaries and Bonuses to Attract Police Applicants
Due to the nationwide staffing crisis propelled by the war on cops, police departments have had to get creative in their recruiting efforts.
One of these ways has been to offer higher salaries. Last year, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, for example, approved an approximate 11% salary increase for newly-hired officers. The typical cost-of-living salary increase nationally is 3% annually. While police officers deserve to be compensated well, departments are raising salaries out of necessity.
Another newer expenditure is hiring bonuses. While some of these bonuses hover in the $5,000 to $8,000 range, others are much higher. (Note that the terms of these bonuses varies by department.)
Metro Police Department (Washington, D.C.). A $25,000 signing bonus. The Department wants to hire 25 recruits every month. That’s potentially a seven-and-a-half million dollar budgetary increase per year.
Syracuse (New York) Police Department. A $20,000 signing bonus for lateral transfers. The amount increased earlier this year from $10,000.
Seattle Police Department: A $30,000 signing bonus for lateral transfers and $7,500 for new recruits.
Police Overtime
The police staffing crisis has created an environment in which working overtime is a given. It’s also created an unexpected expense.
Take these cities, for example.
Chicago Police Department: The Department’s overtime budget has been increasing exponentially over the past five years. In 2023, it spent at least $200 million dollars in officer overtime.
New York City Police Department: The NYPD Spent $2.22 billion dollars on overtime in fiscal year 2022. Compare that with $1.46 billion dollars in fiscal year 2013.
Those who decry “bloated” police budgets might consider how demoralizing police officers has led us to this place.
Legislative Update!
The only movement in Congress this past week has been on the Protect & Serve Act (H.R. 743).
The bill gained two new co-sponsors with Reps. Kelly Armstrong (ND-At large) and Erin Houchin (In-9). Even better news is that Rep. Armstrong is a member of the House Judiciary Committee, which is where the H.R. 743 is currently being held up. This is progress!
Please thank them, as this encourages our elected representatives to support given legislation. Also continue to urge your U.S. House representative to co-sponsor H.R. 743, especially if that person is a Republican member of the House Judiciary Committee.
Those calls and emails are working!
A Resource for Police Families + A Request
Being a member of a police family can be inherently stressful. That stress has been exacerbated in recent years. The spouses, children, parents, significant others, and loved ones of our guardians deserve peace, recognition, and a voice.
Thankfully, there are organizations stepping up.
One of these is How 2 Love Our Cops, who is hosting a full-day conference for significant others of police officers. Please see their website for details on registering.
If you have an upcoming event that you’d like me to include in my newsletter, please write me at fortheblue@substack.com. I will gladly advertise your event to my growing list of subscribers at absolutely no cost. My police advocacy is performed on a volunteer basis as a labor of love. : )
Parting thought . . .
I recently picked up a copy of We’ve Got Issues by Dr. Phillip McGraw (Dr. Phil). In it, he discusses how the “sustained attack on the core values that have defined America at its best, and offers prescriptive guidance on what you can do in your own life to stop the madness.”
Though I’ve just started reading the book, it’s thus far compelling, and seems to align with the concerns many of us have about the trajectory of our nation.
Here’s an excerpt:
“We have to wake up and stop giving in to the nonsense. So many of these “ideas” are simply made up; ideas that are miles away from reality and common sense —and yet those espousing them are demanding (and sometimes even attaining) acceptance. We cannot allow this to continue.”
Know that we can get through this and that you’re not alone.
Wishing you the best until next time. : )
For the Blue is a solutions-based initiative. I’m just an American patriot asking questions. I don’t work with any political party and I answer to nobody. For me, the health of the nation, due process (including for police officers), the rule of law, and respect for individual liberties, will always transcend party affiliation. I welcome your thoughts, even if you disagree; though personal attacks will be ignored. You can reach me at fortheblue@substack.com.
Thanks Paula! Your article was insightful, and because you’re always able to provide facts to support your conclusions it is extremely relevant! I pray as a police supervisor in Arizona, that that bill to prohibit lowering a police budget year to year passes!
Good job. You covered a lot of ground in this well written article. I am interested in the Dr. Phil book and I'll put it on my list. I encourage you to check out Abigail Shrier's Bad Therapy - it is next on my reading list.