Bennett Capers, associate dean for research and director of Fordham Law School’s Center on Race, Law and Justice, was quoted in a KTLA article on California’s Irvine Police Department using taxpayers money to buy a new Tesla Cybertruck that will be outfitted for police use—believed to be the first such use of the electric pickup in the United States when it make its debut later this year.
Police may be excited about the cutting-edge vehicle’s addition to the fleet, but some who study police spending think the funds could be better used elsewhere.
Bennett Capers, a Fordham Law School professor who also serves as director of the Center on Race, Law, and Justice, said it’s important to remember that while government agencies can have large budgets, it’s all still taxpayer money, and he does not believe a Cybertruck will actually help police discourage drug use and criminal activity among children.
Instead, Capers said, it “really feels like boys wanting a toy,” as there are more effective ways to build relationships with kids.
“If you want to encourage youth, you could do things that would help youth, like go to playgrounds and play football and basketball with kids,” he said. “That seems more likely to help them than a Cybertruck.”
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Capers agrees that police need to have a strong relationship with the community, though he feels the Cybertruck is not the most effective route of building those ties.
“I’m a strong believer in going into communities and asking them what would be helpful to them,” he said. “My guess is if you ran into highly policed communities and asked what would help bring down crime or solve crime or deter people from using drugs, my guess is none of them are going to answer ‘Oh, if only our police department had a Tesla Cybertruck.’”
Read “Irvine police’s new Cybertruck sparks excitement, scrutiny” on KTLA.