Police Structure and Staffing in Response to the 2007 Market Cras

This paper explores the effects of the 2007 market crash on police department staffing. This analysis examines questions related to police force size, civilianization, and part-time employment in police departments. The observation period is from 2005 to 2014 and includes a sample of 76 police departments across the United States and a fixed-effects analysis is employed. The findings indicate that police departments altered staffing levels in a quasi-strategic manner in response to the 2007 market crash. First, trends of increasing hiring rates of civilians and increased hours for part-time civilians stopped. Second, police departments reduced the number of part-time civilians. Third, departments eventually reduced the number of sworn officers. Other city-wide variables are also responsible for changes in staffing levels for both sworn and civilian staff. The cumulative results may indicate long-term adverse effects for police organizations. Reduced staffing levels as a result of the past financial situation and the current political climate surrounding police legitimacy may make it difficult to return to adequate levels of staffing.