In 25 major U.S. cities across the country, officials have already cut – or have proposed cutting — funds from police budgets.
However, in as many as 20 of those same cities, mayors and other city officials enjoy the personal protection of a dedicated police security detail. In many cities, this security costs taxpayers millions of dollars per year.
Forbes found that the defunding of police – coupled with taxpayer dollars spent on police security details protecting public officials– only occurred in cities run by Democratic mayors.
In mid-May, auditors at OpenTheBooks.com filed Freedom of Information Act requests with 25 cities, asking which city officials have police details, how many officers are assigned, and how much money it costs. The details are here.
