[adt2bt]

> They claim that, by taking money from police and putting it toward social programs, they can eliminate the need for heavy-handed policing in the first place. But the social programs are an afterthought.

This feels like a strawman. I don't think it's surprising that there's a rise in crime when police are defunded, especially when those social programs aren't enacted. I think most reasonable progressives who support defunding the police also recognize the whole point is to shift investment away from punishment (police) into aid (social programs) to deter crime. It takes years for that to happen, and really needs to happen on a societal level to provide opportunities that otherwise 'career criminals' do not have which leads them down that path.

[JamesBarney]

Are there any good comparisons on how much a dollar of policing vs a dollar of social programs deter crime?

[schwartzworld]

Is there any evidence that current police funding levels help to deter crime in any significant way whatsoever?

[JamesBarney]

Here's an article quoted on NPR.

https://www.nber.org/papers/w28202?utm_source=npr_newsletter...

[settrans]

Is there any evidence that, on net, state welfare programs deter crime in any significant way?

[Nostromos]

It's been studied extensively and the research overwhelmingly shows that more generous welfare policies are associated with lower levels of crime.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S00472... https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1999-13463-002 https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3509381 https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/655778

[JamesBarney]

I don't know if I'd call 3 regressions and a political piece extensive and overwhelming support.

[Schiendelman]

You haven’t produced anything contrary. Dividing by zero here. ;)