New Study Links Higher Police Spending with Higher Suicide Rates Among Black Youth

Researcher Says Community Investment is a Promising Strategy to Protect Black Youth

Editor’s note: The following content references suicide, and may be sensitive or distressing to some readers. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and talk to a trained crisis specialist, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

While suicide has a profound effect on many Americans, the Black community is disproportionately impacted by an unprecedented rise in youth suicide. In the past decade, suicide rates among Black youth in the United States have increased by 144%, an alarming problem that calls for urgent, preventative solutions. 

Ty A. Robinson, a UMD counseling psychology Ph.D. student, is the lead author of a new study in Social Science & Medicine that identifies a key risk factor in this trend: police spending.

Along with his co-authors, Robinson used an age-disaggregated approach to longitudinally examine the impact of state and local government spending (on police, K-12 education, higher education, public welfare, housing and community development, hospital, health, and highway and roads) on Black adolescents and young adults from 2010 to 2020. Focusing on the role of policing in Black communities, the researchers investigated links between police spending and Black youth suicide rates. 

The study shows the detrimental link that longitudinal investments in police spending have on Black adolescents’ suicide deaths. The researchers found that $100 per capita annual increases in police spending were associated with 135 more years of potential life lost to suicide per 100,000 Black adolescents. 

“Put simply, these findings point to the devastating number of years Black adolescents may lose to suicide before they have the opportunity to grow up, realize their potential, and experience the futures they deserve,” Robinson said. “What was especially striking is that, across a population of 5 million Black adolescents, this translates to approximately 6,750 years of potential life lost to suicide annually, starting as young as 10 years old.”

Robinson’s coauthors are Jasmin R. Brooks Stephens of the University of California, Berkeley Department of Psychology, and Devin English of the Rutgers University School of Public Health. 

Robinson said there is a research and awareness gap when it comes to approaching the reduction of Black youth suicide from the standpoint of structural prevention strategies. Through analysis of local and state police and social services funding, and Black youth suicide deaths, the researchers found that investment in social services — not in policing — is what promotes prevention of suicide mortality early in life.

“Police are often the first to respond to mental health and suicide crises. Yet, for many Black Americans, policing is also associated with disproportionate stops, arrests, use of force, and oppressive surveillance. Police violence can have consequences that extend beyond individual encounters, affecting the mental health and safety of entire communities,” Robinson said. “These realities raise an urgent question: When state and local governments allocate more resources to policing, what are the consequences for Black youth?”

Promoting the Power of Community-Based Solutions

When it comes to promoting strategies that reduce Black youth suicide risk, Robinson clarified that the authors do not call for a “defunding” of police departments. Rather, their evidence points to the need to reallocate funding into community-based services, both within police budgets and within community and state budgets. The study shows that investing in state and local social services can save lives.

“Looking more broadly, we hope to make it clear that funding social services like K-12 education, health, and housing and community development at the state and local level is an effective suicide prevention strategy,” Robinson said. “Increased funding for things like after-school programs, community centers, affordable housing, and health services can increase safety and public health benefits for everyone in a community.”

For Robinson, the work of suicide prevention extends beyond academic publication. He hopes the findings from this study will encourage conversations among the people who care for, support, and advocate for Black youth, and help communities recognize the importance of addressing suicide early.

“I want to hand this study back to the community, to everyone who works with and cares for young Black people. We need to have these conversations about police funding and its impact on our communities, particularly Black youth, at the policy level and at the community level,” Robinson said.

Image of police car and police officer via iStock.

Published on Wed, Nov 4, 2026 - 4:18PM