I think that most of us would agree that 2020 was a strange year. Besides the Covid-19 outbreak, police shootings of black individuals sparked protests and riots across the nation. A few of the issues raised in these protests was a call to reform police procedures and to defund the police. For some, defunding the police, meant eliminating all funding for a police department, or partially defunding and directing funds to social workers who would handle non-violent situations like domestic disputes. Some police reforms suggested increasing non-lethal ways of arresting individuals.
Most of these demands were directed to the President or federal and state elected officials. I was bewildered by the approach to solving these issues at the state and federal level. In chapter 13 of my book on local government, I discuss city structure.1 In California, most local policemen are hired by charter cities (or counties). The California state constitution permits charter counties and cities to have authority over their “municipal affairs”. One of these municipal affairs is the right to regulate its own police force. Other states have a similar constitutional structure at the county and city level. So how could the federal or state government reform local police departments? They can’t, unless the police department is engaged in behavior that would be deemed unconstitutional at the state or federal level. For example, the federal or state government could pass a law banning the use of taser guns or chokeholds, but it wouldn’t necessarily apply to police departments of charter cities or counties.2
What about defunding the police department by withholding federal or state funds? First, how would you find the amount that cities receive from state and federal budgets? In chapter 15 of my book, I discuss the various sources of city revenue. You would find this amount by looking at the revenue side of the police budget under intergovernmental revenue, which includes federal, state, and county transfers.
For example, the city of Mountain View’s proposed 2020-21 police budget (46.4 million), lists the total intergovernmental revenue amount ($0K-federal, $205K-state, $252K-county), which is less than 1% of their budget. For Sacramento, the 2020-21 city budget of $589 million lists about $14.4 million in intergovernmental revenue. A detailed list of categories is provided, but none seem to be directed towards the police department. However, under the grants section, there are several outside funds listed for the police. Some funds are used to hire police and reduce crime, but some are specific, like removing marine debris. No breakdown of intergovernmental revenue is provided in the police budget.
If you want to defund your police department by removing federal or state funds, you should first look at your city police budget and see whether they actually receive any funds and whether they are a large source of funding. In my opinion, if you really want to change your police department, you need to focus at the local level. Bear in mind though, all politics is local, and you will have to convince your neighbors that you have some good ideas about how to reform or defund your police department.
1 Yes, I am going to use my blog to promote my book.
2 A more recent example is President Biden’s executive order requiring masks to be worn. Of course the order applies only to federal buildings or on federal property.
