Nationwide, policymakers and the public are considering how best to address crime. Deeper insights on policing should guide decisions about its funding and role in the provision of public safety. Traditional cost-benefit analyses usually find policing to be “cost-effective,” meaning it creates benefits that exceed its costs. Yet a range of policing activities can result in “social costs” that are not typically considered. As a result of police activity, people can suffer physical and behavioral health problems; lose educational opportunities, jobs, and housing; and withdraw from civic engagement. An emerging body of research illuminates the extent of these social costs, which are borne primarily by Black communities and other overpoliced communities of color. Vera researchers created this report and fact sheet to fill a critical gap in understanding the holistic costs of relying on policing as a primary approach to safety.
Access the full resource here.
This report—which relies on an extensive literature review and interviews with prosecutors around the country—begins to catalog current AI uses...
This is a policy framework for police use of robots, including ground robots and unmanned aerial vehicles (“UAVs”), also known...
The expanding surveillance and criminalization of mutual aid, selfmanaged care, and bodily autonomy, and the growing attempts to criminalize pregnant...
We showcase existing solutions and new research from the community. Support us by sharing your own resources to our hub.
