Race and the War on Crime: The Sociopolitical Determinants of Municipal Police Expenditures in 90 non-Southern U.S. Cities

TLDR

The study uses three conflict‑theory variables—racial composition, black mobilization activity, and 1960s riot frequency—to predict municipal policing expenditures in 1971. A simultaneous model linking police expenditures with crime and city revenue was applied to data from 90 U.S. cities. Racial composition and black mobilization activity significantly predicted policing expenditures, with race‑related factors exerting a stronger influence on capital spending than on salaries and operations.

Abstract

Three variables suggested by conflict theory--the racial composition of the city, the level of black mobilization activity, and the frequency of riots in the 1960s--are used as independent predictors of municipal policing expenditures in 1971. A simultaneous model which recognizes the interdependence of the police expenditure function with the crime and total city revenue functions is tested using data for a sample of 90 U.S. cities. Racial composition and the level of black mobilization activity were significant predictors of municipal policing expenditures. Race-related variables appear to have had a greater effect on police capital expenditures than on expenditures for salaries and operations. (abstract Adapted from Source: American Sociological Review, 1981. Copyright © 1981 by the American Sociological Association) Conflict Theory 1960s 1970s Racial Factors Police Response Police Intervention Law Enforcement Intervention Crime Intervention African American Crime African American Offender Racial Discrimination Riot 07-02