Commodifying Policing: A Recipe for Community-Police Tensions

Authors

Nora V. Demleitner, Washington and Lee University School of LawFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Georgia Law Review

Publication Date

2017

Abstract

This Article, in Part II, begins with a description of how municipalities, at least since the recession of 2008, have fallen short of fully funding their departments. Part III focuses on four distinct outside funding components and their impact on policing. The first subsection discusses asset forfeitures, under both state and federal law. Subsection two highlights revenue derived from citations, often in the form of traffic tickets. A discussion of fees that are being added to fines, often to fund courts, probation agencies, and police departments, follows. The increasing amounts and types of fees imposed have substantially increased the burden of citations. Failure to pay or to appear for court hearings about payment triggers arrest warrants. The final subsection turns to the impact federal grant programs, including equipment donations, have had on law enforcement. Similarly, the contributions of police foundations have left their imprint on enforcement strategies. Part IV is devoted to the proliferation of measurements of police performance. Those frequently emphasize numbers of arrests, drug or money seizures, or citations issued without regard to the impact on community relations. Finally, the last section illuminates how these policies have increased the stakes in interactions between community members and police, leading to greater dangers for both sides.

Recommended Citation

Nora V. Demleitner, Commodifying Policing: A Recipe for Community-Police Tensions, 51 Ga. L. Rev. 1047 (2017).