Although crime rates are at their lowest point in 30 years, the number of arrests has only declined slightly, and the U.S. spends more than $100 billion on police annually, according to a May 2012 report from the Justice Policy Institute.
The money funds 714,921 sworn police officers and “an increasing number of militarized police units,” the report, “Rethinking the Blues: How we police the U.S. and at what cost,” says.