Misuse of Power: An Inveterate Diversion from Utopia

Systemic reform towards this seemingly dystopian carceral state has been long overdue. Misuse of power as displayed by a significant portion of law enforcers whether it be caused by an everlasting dominant bargaining position due to the prevalence of the police union and the severity of the principal-agent problem. 

An unconventional measure of curtailing police expenditures, of which has been assessed rigorously and implemented partially by 17 states, has gathered significant traction especially after being chanted by indignant protestors within every stride. 

Despite its effectiveness yet to be ascertained, numerous empirical studies have concluded that reallocating police budget towards more dire societal needs may prove to be more beneficial than allowing an excessively large allocation of local and state budget to be dedicated to law enforcement. 

However, to truly decide whether defunding could garner unequivocal benefits, more in depth analyses have to be carried out. Amidst the shroud of uncertainty regarding which policy is most ideal to be implemented, one thing can be ascertained – police misconduct and abuse of power should not have any significance and any and all efforts should be exerted to abolish such a severe societal inconvenience.

By M. Faishal Harits | Ilmu Ekonomi 2018 | Wakil Kepala Divisi Kajian Kanopi FEB UI 2020

References without hyperlinks:

Sullivan, C. M., & O’Keeffe, Z. P. (2017). Evidence that curtailing proactive policing can reduce major crime. Nature Human Behaviour, 1(10), 730-737. doi:10.1038/s41562-017-0211-5

Kleck, G., & Barnes, J. C. (2010). Do More Police Lead to More Crime Deterrence? Crime & Delinquency, 60(5), 716-738. doi:10.1177/0011128710382263

Mello, S. (2019). More COPS, less crime. Journal of Public Economics, 172, 174-200. doi:10.1016/j.jpubeco.2018.12.003

O'Keefe, B., & Rapp, N. (2020, June 12). What U.S. police spending looks like in 3 charts. Retrieved June 30, 2020

Andrew, S. (2020, June 17). There's a growing call to defund the police. Here's what it means. Retrieved June 30, 2020