Seven of every 10 U.S. cities are increasing funding for police and public safety, according to the National League of Cities. This represents a reversal from recent years in which the economic recession took a toll on police budgets and federal funding for local police forces dropped dramatically.
For example, federal funding for community-oriented policing dropped by 73 percent over the past four years, and Justice Department grants for law enforcement dropped by $880 million, or 42 percent. In part as a result, the number of police nationwide declined by 14 percent between 2009 and 2013.
Now many cities are hiring again. For the first time in 20 years, New York is adding some 1,300 police officers to its 35,000-member force. San Francisco’s police force is growing by 400 officers.
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