One of the demands of some protestors is to "defund the police" and spend more on social services. The implication is we spend too much on policing. But in fact spending on the police has been fairly flat for the last few decades, while spending on other services such as education and health increased. Evidence suggests less policing means more crime. And basic economics tells us if we spend less on something, we'll end up with worse outcomes.
Allison Schrager is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Follow her on Twitter here.
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