Policing the California Outercity: Drivers of Police Spending in a Changing Metropolis.

This paper examines the relationship between police spending and demographic changes in California's outer-ring suburbs, focusing on the concepts of "renter threat" and racial dynamics. Utilizing a unique dataset of over 200 municipalities from 2000 to 2018, the study finds that suburbs with increasing renter populations tend to allocate more funds to policing, driven by homeowner concerns about crime and property values. The research suggests that while racial threat theories have limited applicability in these contexts, the perception of renters as a social threat significantly influences police budgets, highlighting the role of policing as a mechanism of social control and inequality in suburban areas. The findings challenge assumptions about the safety and opportunities available to low-income people of color in suburban settings compared to urban centers. [Extracted from the article]