A recent study has explored the impact of government expenditures on racial disparities in suicides and police-perpetrated killings. Researchers examined data from 2010 to 2020, focusing on how state and local spending influenced these outcomes among Black and White residents.
The study found that increased police spending was linked to higher years of potential life lost (YPLL) due to suicide and police-related deaths for Black residents, but not for White residents. Specifically, a $100 per capita increase in police spending resulted in an additional 35 YPLL from suicides one year later and 28 YPLL five years later per 100,000 Black residents. Similarly, this increase correlated with seven more YPLL from police-perpetrated killings per 100,000 Black residents.
Conversely, increased investment in housing and community development showed a positive effect for Black communities. A $100 per capita rise in such expenditures led to a reduction of 29 YPLL from suicides five years later per 100,000 Black residents. For White residents, increased spending on kindergarten through 12th-grade education was associated with four fewer YPLL from suicides one year later per 100,000 individuals.
The findings suggest that reallocating resources away from policing towards housing may help reduce racial inequities in these areas. The researchers highlighted the importance of addressing structural factors contributing to these disparities.
