Poster #26 - Do Election Outcomes of Law Enforcement Officials Impact Public Safety? Evidence from the Sheriff’s Office.

• In Event: Saturday Poster Luncheon

Abstract

This study investigates whether the election loss of a lead law enforcement officer impacts the law enforcement operations conducted by the office. Using sheriff election data from the American Local Government Elections database and arrest records from the National Incident-Based Reporting System, I employ a triple-differences strategy to analyze how arrest patterns change following incumbent sheriffs’ election losses. Results reveal reductions in arrests per 100,000 people for fraud and assault crimes, with decreases of 14% and 12%, respectively. However, no significant effects are observed in arrests for major violent and property crimes. The findings suggest that there may be instances of neglect in law enforcement activity concerning less serious, non-index crimes rather than major crimes such as murder. This situation calls for a reevaluation of the sheriff’s office’s autonomy to protect law enforcement operations from political influence.

Author

• Debbie Amewu, University of South Carolina
  Presenting Author