A We Back Blue Initiative
Six Years Backing the Badge. We're Not Stopping Now.
The Police Pay Transparency Project is built on the foundation of We Back Blue — six years of standing with law enforcement when law makers wouldn't. This project is our answer to a new threat: cities and county boards that don't defund the police, they just quietly don't fund them. We follow the money so officers and the people that support them don't have to.
Visit WeBackBlue.comOur Mission
Expose the Cuts. Protect the Badge.
Cities across America have found a new way to silently abort their law enforcement. They don't call it defunding. They call it a hiring freeze. A budget reallocation. A deferred equipment purchase. A pension restructuring. It's the same result dressed in bureaucratic language designed to avoid accountability.
We Back Blue has spent six years refusing to let that stand. This project is the research arm of that fight. We obtain budget documents, analyze the numbers, and publish findings that are sourced, verifiable, and built for action — for officers, union representatives, city council advocates, and citizens who refuse to let their departments be quietly dismantled.
We are not anti-government. We are pro-law-enforcement and pro-accountability. Officers deserve to know what their city is doing to their department. Communities deserve to know what they are losing. And elected officials deserve to be held responsible for every cut they try to hide.
How We Work
Sourced. Verified. Built for Action.
Every report we publish follows the same rigorous process. We do not publish claims we cannot document.
Public Records Requests
We file FOIA and state public records requests for budget documents, staffing reports, procurement records, and pension filings. Every investigation begins with primary source documents.
Data Analysis
Our researchers analyze budget line items, year-over-year trends, and staffing ratios. We compare official statements against the actual numbers to identify gaps and discrepancies.
Source Verification
Before publication, findings are reviewed against multiple independent sources. We do not rely on single-source claims. Officers and department insiders can submit tips that we independently verify.
Publication & Action
Reports are published free of charge and formatted for use by officers, union reps, and advocates. We provide the evidence — you take it to your city council, your union, and your community.
The Team
Independent Researchers. No Agenda But the Truth.
Our team grew out of six years of We Back Blue advocacy. It includes former law enforcement, investigative journalists, public finance analysts, and policy researchers. We have no political affiliation and accept no government funding.
Daniel Marsh
Executive Director
Former municipal budget analyst with 14 years in public finance. Has reviewed budgets in over 60 cities across 18 states.
Carla Reyes
Director of Investigations
Investigative journalist with a decade of experience covering public safety and government accountability. Former staff reporter at two major metro dailies.
Officer James Whitfield (Ret.)
Law Enforcement Advisor
Retired 22-year patrol officer and union representative. Advises on department operations, officer experience, and the real-world impact of budget decisions.
Priya Nair
Data & Research Lead
Public policy researcher specializing in municipal finance and labor economics. Holds a master's degree in public administration from Georgetown University.
Funding Transparency
We Answer to No One But the Facts.
The Police Pay Transparency Project is a We Back Blue initiative, funded entirely by individual donors and supporters who have stood with law enforcement for six years. We do not accept funding from government agencies, political campaigns, or any organization with a stake in the outcomes we report.
We publish an annual financial disclosure that details all funding sources above $5,000. Our editorial decisions are made independently. No donor has ever reviewed a report before publication — and none ever will.
Annual Financial Disclosure
Available upon request. Contact us at transparency@policeaccountability.org
transparency@policeaccountability.orgReady to See the Numbers?
Browse our full archive of investigations — free, sourced, and built for action.