President Donald Trump’s establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been met with optimism by some in the law enforcement community, who believe it could help reduce overzealous oversight of police departments and empower officers to do their jobs more effectively. Retired New York Police Department (NYPD) Lieutenant Commander Joe Cardinale recently shared his insights with Fox News Digital, emphasizing how DOGE’s focus on identifying and cutting wasteful government spending could bring much-needed relief to police forces nationwide. By scrutinizing the federal budget, including grants provided to police departments through the Department of Justice, Cardinale argues that DOGE could help address the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies that are often hampered by restrictive regulations and heavy oversight.
Cardinale, who has decades of experience in law enforcement, believes that DOGE’s efforts could help restore trust and effectiveness within police departments. He suggests that the department’s oversight could lead to better standards for recruiting and training officers, ultimately allowing police to operate more freely and proactively. “Maybe we can give it a one-two punch,” he said. “Maybe we can start setting the standards a little better to allow better candidates to come in and take the handcuffs off the police.” This metaphor of “handcuffs” refers to the bureaucratic and legal constraints that many officers feel hinder their ability to protect and serve their communities effectively. Cardinale is hopeful that DOGE’s work will help shift the narrative and create an environment where police officers can thrive.
One specific issue Cardinale highlighted is the removal of qualified immunity for police officers in some jurisdictions. Qualified immunity is a legal doctrine that protects government officials, including law enforcement officers, from being sued for damages unless they violate a clearly established constitutional right. In 2021, during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests and riots, the New York City Council passed a series of reforms that ended qualified immunity for NYPD officers. Cardinale believes this decision has had a chilling effect on policing, as officers are now more hesitant to take decisive action for fear of personal liability. “They took it away,” he said. “The city once said, ‘You do the job, and we will back you up.’ Now, they don’t have that any longer.” This loss of support, he argues, has contributed to declining morale and staffing challenges within police departments.
Staffing and retention have indeed become significant concerns for law enforcement agencies across the U.S. In recent years, many departments have struggled to attract and retain officers, a trend that has been exacerbated by the political and social scrutiny surrounding policing. Cardinale believes that additional scrutiny of police departments’ funding and practices could help restore a focus on the “basic premise” of law enforcement: to serve and protect communities. By “taking the handcuffs off” and allowing officers to engage in more proactive policing, he argues, departments can become more effective and rebuild trust with the public. This approach, he says, would not only benefit officers but also the communities they serve.
Despite these challenges, there are signs of hope. In 2024, the Associated Press reported that police hiring had increased in 2023 for the first time in five years, citing data from the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), a nonprofit think tank based in Washington, D.C. While these gains were primarily seen in small- and medium-sized departments, they suggest that some progress is being made in addressing staffing shortages. However, larger cities are still struggling to recover from the fallout of the 2020 “defund the police” movement, which led to budget cuts and a decline in public confidence in law enforcement. Cardinale believes that targeted funding and accountability measures, such as those that could be implemented through DOGE, are crucial to addressing these ongoing challenges.
Looking ahead, Cardinale and others in the law enforcement community are advocating for a more strategic approach to police funding and resource allocation. He suggests that additional funding could be used to address staffing shortages, improve officer salaries, and upgrade equipment. The Los Angeles Police Protective League, a police union representing over 8,000 Los Angeles Police Department officers, has also weighed in on the issue. In a statement to Fox News Digital, the league emphasized the importance of redirecting funds toward public safety initiatives, noting that such investments would “pay dividends in the form of safer neighborhoods and fewer fentanyl deaths.” They called this a “wise investment” in the future of communities nationwide. While DOGE’s exact role in addressing these issues remains to be seen, its focus on accountability and efficiency could play a significant role in shaping the future of law enforcement in the U.S.
In conclusion, the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency has sparked hope among some in the law enforcement community that it could help alleviate the challenges faced by police departments. By scrutinizing federal spending and holding departments accountable, DOGE may help restore trust in law enforcement and empower officers to do their jobs more effectively. As Cardinale and others argue, this could lead to safer communities, improved morale within police ranks, and a renewed focus on the core principles of policing: serving and protecting. While the road ahead will undoubtedly be complex, the potential benefits of DOGE’s work could be transformative for law enforcement and the communities they serve.
