Police budgets are squeezing out funding for other essential state and city services

Calls across the country to defund law enforcement have prompted some city leaders to pledge to cut police budgets. In LA, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced plans to strip up to $150 million from the LAPD’s budget. Two months ago, Garcetti’s budget proposed a 7% increase in funding for the LAPD.

Police budgets are typically the largest piece of a city’s budget. That goes for cities big and small, and it’s especially true in California, where law enforcement officers are the highest paid in the country, making about $93,000 a year on average.

Columnist Joe Mathews argues that police budgets are crowding out other services like libraries and community programs that make cities safe.