Brenden Beck is a sociologist studying policing, city budgets, and housing. A current research project of his investigates how the shift from social services toward policing has influenced long-term crime rates. His previous research examined how cities’ reliance on fine-and-fee revenue affects their frequency of police killings, how police budget size shapes police practices, and how gentrification and suburbanization affect misdemeanor arrest rates. Brenden has published in Criminology, the Annual Review of Sociology, Social Forces, Criminology & Public Policy, and elsewhere. He teaches courses on research methods, race, and policing. His general-interest writing has appeared in Slate, the New York Daily News, and the Appeal, among other places. His work has been funded by Arnold ...