There is “no consistent correlation” between police spending and crime rates in Canada, a new study has found.
The paper, published in the journal Canadian Public Policy, examined a decade of data from Canada’s 20 largest municipalities, finding no clear relationship between higher police budgets and crime, and no association between increasing spending and reducing crime rates. This, even as spending on policing increased steadily over the study period.
“We didn’t find a consistent association between police spending and crime rates,” lead author Mélanie Seabrook told the Star, noting that the finding can help decision-makers figure out spending priorities, knowing “there are other factors at play.”
