The Death Penalty Information Center released a study last week that highlights the high cost of the death penalty in a time of economic crisis and releases the findings of a poll of police chiefs on the effectiveness of the death penalty as a deterrent to crime.
Death Penalty Not a Deterrent
The study reports that although most police chiefs support the death penalty philosophically, they don’t believe it is an effective law enforcement tool for deterring criminals. As well, when asked what area is the most important for reducing violent crime, chiefs rated the death penalty last, with only 1% placing it in the top three. They also agreed that it was the least efficient use of tax payer’s money to reduce crime.
In general, most chiefs ranked lack of law enforcement resources and drug/alcohol abuse as the top issues interfering with law enforcement. And many believed that being pro-death penalty was more of a symbolic stance by politicians than it was an actual policy to reduce crime.
Poll Results
Here are some charts from the study:
Chiefs Support the Idea of Death Penalty, If Not the Practice
Although this study clearly paints a picture that most police chiefs agree that the death penalty does not aid their crime fighting efforts, it is important to keep in mind that the majority still support it on philosophical grounds. In fact, Mark White, former Governor of Texas, has been recently vocal about the decision to change his stance on the death penalty, saying that he doesn’t want any more innocent people executed for crimes they did not commit. However, he still maintains that, morally, the death penalty “is an appropriate punishment for the most heinous crimes.”
What about all the law enforcement officers, chiefs, and sheriffs out there? What do you think about the death penalty, and does it help you do your job?
Download the entire study here.
Download the executive summary here.
Get on the crime map at CrimeReports.com
