Police Count

I recently read a study completed by the Rand Center for Quality Policing.  The study discusses the economic value of police in a community.  In terms of budgeting, police traditionally are looked at as an expense.  Studies and accomplishments in recent years show police are more of an investment than a budget item.  We are seeing more cost benefit analysis’s completed across the country that clearly shows there is tremendous value in having additional police officers work in problem areas.  The Rand study places specific cost to crimes.  It looks at the “social and personal” costs to crime and attaches dollar figures to specific crimes.  When officers are deployed properly and crime and disorder is successfully addressed through proper policing strategies property values improve, business climates improve and the overall perception of crime and disorder improves. The bottom line is that police officers count.....
Here is the link to the Rand information:
http://www.rand.org/jie/centers/quality-policing.html