Intergovernmental Contracting for Municipal Police Services: An Empirical Analysis

Contracting for public services by municipal governments has gained widespread attention as a means of improving efficiency in local government and lessening urban fiscal pressures. Contracting with private firms is common for public services such as refuse collection and street maintenance [Savas 1974] but an alternative possible arrangement is to contract with another governmental jurisdiction. The most prominent example of intergovernmental contracting is the Lakewood Plan in Los Angeles County where county departments provide police protection and numerous other minor services to some