SECTION 7: POLICE, CORRECTION, AND JUDICIAL

This section tabulates the level of state and local police, correction and judicial spending relative to personal income, and number of state and local public employees in these categories relative to population. Data is presented for in different regions of New York State, the national average, New Jersey, and other states. The 1997 census of governments is the primary source of information.

 

Chart 7.1: State and Local Direct Expenditures
Police and Correction

Sources: Census of Governments. Income: Bureau of Economic Analysis.

New York State’s spending on police and corrections was the third highest in the country in Fiscal 1997; it was even higher, relative to the national average, in fiscal 1972.

In fiscal 1997, New York’s state and local government spending on police and corrections was equal to 1.7 percent of all the personal income of state residents, 27 percent more than the national average (1.35 percent of income). While New York’s state spending was below average, its local spending, at 1.26 percent of personal income, was 52 percent above the national average of 0.83. California and Alaska were the only states that spent more than New York on police and corrections. New Jersey, Illinois, Washington and North Carolina were all somewhat below average, and far below New York, generally as a result of lower spending at the local level. Texas was just about average.

All these states, and the nation as a whole, spent more on state and local police and corrections in Fiscal 1997 than in Fiscal 1972. Over this period, spending as a share of income increased by 27 percent in New York, 31 percent in New Jersey, 29 percent in Illinois, 39 percent in Washington, 45 percent in California, 58 percent in North Carolina, and 48 percent in the nation as a whole. While New York’s spending on police and correction was 27 percent above average in Fiscal 1997, it was 47 percent above average in Fiscal 1972.

For a spreadsheet of this data, with data for all 50 states, click here.

 

Chart 7.2: 1997 State and Local Direct Expenditures
Police, Correction & Judicial By Category

Sources: Census of Governments. Income: Bureau of Economic Analysis. See introduction for details.

The State of New York kept court and corrections costs down by shifting them to the local level; local police expenditures were high in the state.

Nationwide, local police accounted for 85 percent of state and local police expenditures, while local jails accounted for just one-third of all correction expenditures. Therefore, policing is primarily a local government function, while incarceration is primarily a state function. In Fiscal 1997, New York’s City’s local governments spent about 50 percent more than the national average on both police (0.91 percent of income vs. 0.63) and corrections (0.35 percent of income vs. 0.20). Local government police expenditures were higher in New York than in any other state; local government jail expenditures were higher in New York than in any state except Nevada. New York’s local government court spending was below the national average.

With cities accounting for such a large share of its population, New York’s state police expenditures were little more than half the national average as a share of income. New York’s spending on state prisons as a share of income was slightly below average. While state prison expenditures nearly tripled as a share of income in New York from 1972 to 1997, that was true in the United States as well. New York’s state spending on its court system was nearly double the national average. The state offset some of this higher cost by requiring local governments to raise their own local taxes and provide local to state court aid, equivalent to one out of every 12 dollars the state spent on courts in Fiscal 1997. New York State accounts for half of all such “local to state aid” in the United States. To return to the spreadsheet of this data, click here.

 

Chart 7.3: 1997 Local Police, Correction, & Judicial Spending

Sources: 1997 Census of Governments. Income: Bureau of Economic Analysis. See introduction for details.

New York City’s police and corrections spending was 75 percent higher than the national average.

As the chart shows, most of the high local government police and corrections spending in New York State is accounted for by the Downstate area in general, and New York City in particular. Despite below average judicial spending, New York City’s local government spending on police, correction and judicial absorbed 1.78 percent of all the income earned by New York City residents, 75 percent more than the national average of 1.02 percent of income. The City’s police spending was 44 percent above the national average, and its corrections spending was more than double the average. Moreover, this data does not include police pensions in New York City, since most City pension spending is tabulated as a single line item, but it does include police pensions in some areas. Including the police pensions, which are very expensive, would have increased the City’s police spending by 23 percent. For no other New York City public service are pensions such a large share of overall costs.

Police, correction, and judicial spending was also in other counties containing major cities, such as Los Angeles (1.93 percent of income), San Francisco (1.63), Miami-Dade (1.99), Cook – Chicago (1.31), Baltimore City (1.55), Suffolk – Boston (1.46), and Philadelphia (2.52). Unlike in New York, the cost of police pensions may be included with police spending in some of these cities.

Spending on police, correction and judicial was also high as a share of residents’ income in the Downstate Suburbs. While corrections spending was slightly above average, police spending was 37 percent above average. There was a big difference among the suburban counties. Nassau County (1.51 percent of income) was 48 percent above average, and Suffolk County (1.24 percent) was 22 percent above average. The other Downstate Suburban counties were below average. New Jersey’s local government spending in this category was average as a percent of its residents’ personal income.

Spending on police, corrections and judicial was slightly below average as a share of income (0.96) in the Upstate Metros. Only Niagara County was above the national average. Spending was far below average (0.74 percent of income) in the Rest of New York State, where crime is low and the state police provide extensive services. All regions of New York State were forced to contribute 0.02 percent of their residents’ personal income in state court aid. New York City will be forced to contribute well over $1 billion for new state court facilities in the coming years.

For a spreadsheet of this data, with data for individual New York State counties, click here.

 

Chart 7.4: Police & Correction Public Employment
Local Government: 1997

Sources: 1997 Census of Governments. Population: 2000 Census of Population, unadjusted data.

New York City’s police and corrections employment was very high relative to population.

The main reason that New York City’s police and corrections spending is so high is that it employs so many police and corrections officers, relative to its population. New York City employed 533 full time equivalent police officers (those with the power of arrest) for every 100,000 residents in March 1997, more than 2 ½ times the national average of 194. The number of other police employees in New York City, 45 per 100,000 residents, was below the national average of 57. The City’s corrections employment, at 188 per 100,000 residents, was 2 ½ times the national average of 76.

The Downstate Suburbs (283 per 100,000 residents) and New Jersey (255) also had more police officers, relative to population, than the national average (194). Local government corrections employment was above average throughout New York State, though not to the same extent as in New York City. Local government police, correction and judicial employment was below average in the Rest of New York State. To return to the local employment and payroll spreadsheet, click here.

State Government

Sources: 1997 Census of Governments. Population: 2000 Census of Population, unadjusted data.

New York State’s correction employment was somewhat above average compared with its population.

In March 1997, New York State employed 180 persons in its prisons for every 100,000 state residents, 16 percent above the national average of 155. This was despite the fact that (according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics) the state’s incarceration rate was 14 percent below the national average. New Jersey’s incarceration rate was 17 percent below the national average, but its correction employment – 99 per 100,000 residents – was 36 percent below the national average. While New York’s state police expenditures were below average as a share of income, its state police employment was about average. To return to the state employment and payroll spreadsheet, click here.

 

Chart 7.5: March 1997 Payroll Per Employee
Private Sector and Local Government, vs. National Average

State Government vs. the National Average

Sources: Local government: 1997 Census of Governments, March 1997 payroll divided by full time equivalent employment. Private Sector: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 1997 annual private earnings by place of work divided by annual average private employment.

New York City’s police and corrections officers were paid less than average, relative to the private sector.

In New York City, the large number of police and corrections officers, and their lucrative pensions, were offset by low pay as well as by high spending. While the average downstate private-sector worker (excluding Manhattan finance industry workers) earned 29 percent more than the national average, the average New York City police officer earned only 6.6 percent more, and the average New York City corrections officer actually earned less than the national average. Local police officers were paid more, relative to the private sector and the national average, in the Downstate Suburb, Upstate Metros, the Rest of New York State, and New Jersey. Local correction employees, however, were poorly paid in all parts of both states. The pay of other police employees was higher, relative to that of similar employees elsewhere and the private sector, in New York City, the Downstate Suburbs, the Upstate Metros, and the Rest of New York State. It was relatively low in New Jersey. To return to the local employment and payroll spreadsheet, click here.

In March 1997, New York’s state police officers earned an average of $4,209, 16 percent more than the national average of $3,615. New Jersey state police were paid less than the national average. New York’s state corrections workers earned an average of $3,378, 24 percent more than the national average of $2,716, but less than in New Jersey. For a state employment and payroll spreadsheet, click here.

 

Section 7 Summary

• New York State’s police and corrections expenditures are among the highest in the country. This is primarily due to high spending in New York City, although spending is above average in the Downstate Suburbs as well. In New York City, police, corrections and judicial expenditures are 75 percent above the national average, as a share of the income of city residents. If police pensions were included, New York City’s spending in this category would be double the national average.

• In this category of spending, as well as many others, the State of New York shifts costs to the local level. Local corrections expenditures are above average throughout the state, in part because local jails house state prisoners. The state requires local governments to pay for state courthouses.

• New York City’s police and corrections expenditures are high because its police and corrections employment is so high – 2 ½ times the national average. High employment and expensive police pensions are offset in part by low pay. While the typical private sector worker in Downstate New York earns 29 percent more than the national average, the average New York City police officer earns just 6.6 percent more. Police officers in the Downstate Suburbs and New Jersey are not only paid more than officers in New York City, but also more than their private sector counterparts, relative to the national average. Corrections officers are paid less than their private sector counterparts relative to the national average in all parts of New York and in New Jersey.

To move to Section 8, click here.