About
The Police Funding study has two parts: the first is a longitudinal budget analysis of the 20 largest municipalities in Canada. This analysis aimed to compare police funding across municipalities and over time, compare police funding to other public services, and examine the relationship between police funding and crime rates. The second part of the study is a scoping review and critical discourse analysis aiming to collect health perspectives on the movement to defund police and analyze these emerging discourses.
Impact
This study lays the groundwork for future research into the rationales for resource allocation to law enforcement in Canada, a critical area of study considering the increasing threat that police violence poses with rising budgets. Public resource allocation should be evidence-based in order to best promote the well-being of communities.