NPR

When You Add More Police To A City, What Happens?

A new study looks at the effects of growing police forces on racial inequality.
Source: Pixabay

Editor's note: This is an excerpt of Planet Money's newsletter. You can sign up here.

After the death of George Floyd opened up a national debate about policing, Morgan Williams and his colleagues turned to the tools of economics to try and provide some evidence to help inform the conversation. He recently released research that supports the case for police reform while also reminding us why police are important for public safety.

Williams is an economist at NYU's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. He researches the economics of crime and incarceration policy, with a particular focus on racial inequality. Raised in the South Bronx, Williams still lives and works

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min readInternational Relations
Newly Elected Prime Minister In Solomon Islands Is Likely To Keep Close China Ties
Solomon Islands lawmakers elected former Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele as prime minister Thursday in a development that suggests the South Pacific island nation will maintain close ties with China.
NPR8 min read
How Some Faculty Members Are Defending Student Protesters, In Actions And In Words
The protests sweeping college campuses don't just involve students. Professors are increasingly pushing back against university administrations they see as infringing on students' free speech rights.
NPR3 min read
New York Police Have Cleared Hamilton Hall And The Encampment At Columbia University
New York police officers cleared pro-Palestinian student encampments late Tuesday night at two campuses as similar protests continued to simmer across the country's higher education institutions.

Related Books & Audiobooks