Incentives matter: local bounties file

Over at Marginal Revolution Alex Tabarrok points out that one outcome of the economic downturn in the US is that the incentive to call the police with a tip has increased, especially in those regions which suffer a larger number of home foreclosures. He quotes an article in the New York Times

For tips that bring results, programs in most places pay $50 to $1,000, with some jurisdictions giving bonuses for help solving the most serious crimes, or an extra “gun bounty” if a weapon is recovered...

“We have people out there that, realistically, this could be their job,” said Sgt. Zachary Self, who answers Crime Stoppers calls for the Macon Police Department.