The Impact of Fines, Fees, and Forfeitures in Policing

Elected officials should eliminate the supplanting of police budgets through fines, fees, and forfeitures and instead fund essential public safety functions fully and through general appropriations.

Executive Summary

Hundreds of law enforcement agencies and local governments across the United States rely significantly on fines, fees, and property forfeitures from citizens to fund their budgets. Reliance on these funding sources to supplant police budgets has a detrimental effect on the profession of law enforcement and can drive a wedge between comm…