# FILE NAME: 00000119.soc
# TITLE: Should the government reduce the amount of money it spends on policing? [e3a5ed59619f0c9f54a47a633d18ef5c]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 4
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 4
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - Most of the participants did not want to see a reduction in policing funding, although some noted that it may be possible to reduce the policing budget in some parts of the country, provided that this was done in consultation with the local community and the saved money was reinvested in other public services. The participants were generally of the opinion that more money should be spent on policing, and that this money should be spent on the education and training of police officers.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - In general, the group was opposed to reducing funding for policing. However, it was recognised that there may be some places where policing is not as high a priority as in others. In these areas it may be possible to reduce funding and use it for other services, provided this is done with extreme care and in consultation with the community. The overall group consensus, however, was that in general, more money should be spent on policing, and in particular, it should be spent on education, training, and equipping of the police force to better fight crime.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - There should be a set level of funding for policing which is determined by need. Funding for policing should not be cut, but if it is not currently meeting the needs of the community, the government should increase funding. More money should be spent on the training and education of the police force and on the equipment and technology they require. Conclusion: In conclusion, the small group model of consensus decision making has proved to be successful. However, it has been shown that the more difficult the question is to reach a consensus on, the longer the process takes. Further, there are times when the small group model is not the most effective, and other techniques may be more suitable. One example is where a great deal of data is available and many participants will not have the opportunity to read all of it, this is a time when the Delphi Technique is more suitable.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - The group, in general, was opposed to reducing funding for policing. However, it was recognised that there may be some places where policing is not as high a priority as in others. In these areas it may be possible to reduce funding and use it for other services, provided this is done with extreme care and in consultation with the community. The overall group consensus, however, was that in general, more money should be spent on policing, and in particular, it should be spent on education, training, and equipping of the police force to better fight crime.
2: 3,4,2,1
1: 4,2,1,3
1: 2,1,3,4
1: 3,1,2,4