FINANCING THE WAR ON DRUGS: THE IMPACT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT GRANTS ON RACIAL DISPARITIES IN DRUG ARRESTS

This study estimates the impact of the discretionary Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program (EBMGP) on drug arrests and crime. The 1986 and 1988 Anti‐Drug Abuse Act allocated federal funds to state and local municipalities to combat illicit drug use and violent crim...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of policy analysis and management 2021, Vol.40 (1), p.191-224
Main Authors: Cox, Robynn, Cunningham, Jamein P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
arrest
Arrests
Black people
Business schools
College teachers
Crime
Crime prevention
Defense spending
Drug abuse
Drug policy
drugs
federal grants
Grants
Hiring
incarceration
Law enforcement
Local government
Police
Race
Racial inequality
Racial profiling
Residents
Sales
State finance
Substance abuse
Trafficking
Violent crime
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Summary:This study estimates the impact of the discretionary Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program (EBMGP) on drug arrests and crime. The 1986 and 1988 Anti‐Drug Abuse Act allocated federal funds to state and local municipalities to combat illicit drug use and violent crime associated with drug sales and trafficking. The results show that the implementation of the EBMGP resulted in an increase in police hiring, an increase in drug sales arrest rates for Blacks and Whites, and a decrease in total crime. Nonetheless, Black‐White racial disparity in the drug sales arrest rate still significantly increases by approximately 1 for every 1,000 Black residents. Our findings highlight the role of federal crime control policies in state and local policing. Although, the EBMGP was a color‐blind policy initiative, it was not race neutral in its implementation.
ISSN:0276-8739
1520-6688
DOI:10.1002/pam.22277