Editor’s note: The economy’s impact on Law Enforcement was one of the Top Trends in 2008 covered by Police1. Click here to view a slideshow of how the economy impacted police officers last year.
By Kevin Johnson
USA Today
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nearly half of the 233 police agencies surveyed since the collapse of the nation’s financial markets link increases in criminal offenses to the faltering economy, a new review by a law enforcement research group shows.
In a comprehensive survey of possible links between crime and the economy, the Police Executive Research Forum found that 44% of agencies reported spikes in crime linked to the economy. Of those, 39% reported increases in robberies, 32% in burglaries and 40% in thefts. The report also found that 63% of the 233 agencies were bracing for funding cuts during the upcoming year.
The survey, conducted over a five-week period starting in late December, asked for information on all of 2008 but emphasized the past six months to account for the economic crash.
The combination of declining resources and increases in some offenses represents the “first wave” of bad news for communities and police officials, says Chuck Wexler, the research forum’s executive director.
“When departments saw increases in violent crime (in 2005 and 2006), they were able to flood the problem areas using overtime for additional patrols. Now, that overtime is drying up,” he says. He adds that 62% of police departments said they were cutting overtime spending.
Crime dropped in 2007 and during the first half of 2008, according to the FBI. The FBI’s full report on 2008 won’t be completed until later this year.
Among cities reporting increases in crimes linked to the sagging economy:
- Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington blames the economy for increases of 14% in burglary in 2008 and of 17% in auto theft. Many of those offenses spiked as the economy soured, he says.
Instead of taking jewelry and other valuables, he says, burglars are stripping homes of flat-screen TVs and computers. Both items can easily be resold.
“I haven’t seen stuff like this in a long time,” Pennington says.
- Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo says financial woes are pushing people to violence. He says aggravated assaults rose 10% last year. Many involved family having to money disputes, he says.
“The state of the economy is putting tremendous pressure on the American family,” Acevedo says. “There are homes the cops all know where there has been a pattern of problems. Now, we’re going to homes that haven’t been problems in the past.”
- Topeka police reported spikes in shoplifting and burglaries. Thieves there are stealing license plates to recover stickers on the plates that show proof of tax payments, according to the report.
Some communities reported a decrease in crime despite the economic slump. Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris says crime in his city has not worsened, and property-related offenses -- burglary, theft and robbery -- actually have declined 9%.
“We would like to think it’s our crime-suppression effort,” Harris says. “I hesitate to take responsibility for declines in crime, because that means you get the blame when it goes up.”
Eleven percent of the agencies reported crime increases they did not link to the economy.
Wexler says police aren’t likely to feel the full impact of the faltering economy until at least midyear because crime tends to pick up in the summer.
In Atlanta, Pennington says the economy already is hampering the department’s ability to fight rising crime.
City workers, including the department’s 1,760 officers, administrators and chief, are now working 36-hour weeks to save money, he says. The hourly cuts took effect after Christmas.
“This just started,” Pennington says. “We’ll see how it goes.”
Copyright 2009 USA Today