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Economies of scale and market power in policing

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  • Lawrence Southwick

    (School of Management, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA)

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to use a simultaneous equations method for estimating police production and demand to determine whether or not there are economies of scale in policing. In addition, the effect of market power on productivity, using the Herfindahl-Hirschmann Index, is to be measured. The estimation yields the result that there are diseconomies of scale with respect to the amount of crime beyond about 22 000 people in the policing jurisdiction and diseconomies of scale in numbers of police beyond about 36 000 people. Efficiency is also reduced where there is greater market power. This is conjectured to be the public sector equivalent of taking market power profits. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Lawrence Southwick, 2005. "Economies of scale and market power in policing," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(8), pages 461-473.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:mgtdec:v:26:y:2005:i:8:p:461-473
    DOI: 10.1002/mde.1230
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    References listed on IDEAS

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