i look at police as a necessary evil
at the end of the day, this defund the police shyt is stupid. there has to be some degree of policing society as a deterrent
look at drunk driving, get rid of police tomorrow and drunk driving would skyrocket. and who would you call if someone gets shot or someone steals your car? "defund the police" is embarrassing and childish
Stop pushing this false narrative. It's simply about redefining the role police play, not getting rid of them completely.
What does it mean to ‘defund the police’?
For years, community groups have advocated for defunding law enforcement – taking money away from police and prisons – and reinvesting those funds in services. The basic principle is that government budgets and “public safety” spending should prioritize housing, employment, community health, education and other vital programs, instead of police officers. Advocates argue that defunding is the best way forward since
attempts to reform police practices over the last five years have
failed, as evidenced by the
brutal killing of George Floyd. Groups have a range of demands, with some seeking modest reductions and others viewing full defunding as a step toward abolishing contemporary police services.
How much does America currently spend on police?
In the past four decades, the cost of policing in the US has tripled and is now $115bn, according to a
recent analysis. That steady increase comes as crime has been consistently declining. In most cities, spending on police is
significantly greater than spending on services and other departments ($1.8bn on police in Los Angeles, for example, which is
more than half the city’s general fund). The Covid-19 economic crisis has led cities and states to make drastic budget
cuts to education, youth programs, arts and culture, parks, libraries, housing services and more. But police budgets have grown or gone largely untouched – until pressure from protests this week.
If cities defund police, will violence and crime increase?
Abolition groups argue that policing and prison are at their core racist and harmful and make communities less safe. They also point out that the vast majority of police work has nothing to do with responding to or preventing violence, and that police have
a terrible track record of solving murders or handling
rape and
domestic violence.
While there is no contemporary example of defunding in the US, there are studies suggesting that less policing could mean less crime. In 2014 and 2015, New York officers staged a “slowdown” to protest the mayor, arguing that if they did less police work, the city would be less safe. But
the opposite turned out to be true. When the officers took a break from “broken windows policing”, meaning targeting low-level offenses, there
was a drop in crime. Researchers posited that aggressive policing on the streets for petty matters can ultimately cause social disruption and
lead to more crime. Policing that
punishes poverty, such as hefty traffic tickets and debts, can also create conditions where crime is more likely. When New York ended “stop and frisk”,
crime did not rise.
I'm not going to quote it all. It's worth reading it all for yourself.
What does 'defund the police' mean? The rallying cry sweeping the US – explained
Not sure how you get this through with such powerful union opposition, but I like the idea...
