Defund the police
The goals of those using the slogan vary; some support modest budget reductions, while others advocate for full divestment as part of a broader effort to abolish contemporary policing systems.
Proponents of defunding police departments argue that investing in community-based programs can more effectively address the root causes of crime, such as poverty, homelessness,[1][2] and mental health conditions, thereby serving as a better deterrent.
Du Bois wrote about "abolition-democracy", which advocated for the removal of institutions that were rooted in racist and repressive practices, including prisons, convict leasing, and white police forces.
[1] Some further argue that police social work intervention leads to mass incarceration, risk of physical and mental harm, exposure to violence, and in some instances, death.
[41] Critics of policing argue that its history is rooted in racist practices, citing slave patrols, enforcement of Jim Crow laws, and repression of the civil rights movement, such as the Selma to Montgomery marches and the government's violent campaign against Black Panther Party leaders such as Fred Hampton.
[42][43][44][45] Critics argue that police officers and departments are tasked with an overly broad range of responsibilities, leading to an over-reliance on law enforcement to address complex social issues such as homelessness, mental health crises, and substance abuse.
[52][53] A 2020 paper by researchers at the RAND Corporation argues that the police are often given too many roles in society and asked to solve issues that they are not properly trained for and that would be better suited for professionals such as mental health, homelessness, drug abuse, and school related violence.
Although libertarians typically avoid using the slogan "defund the police," they support the movement due to concerns about constitutional rights and opposition to the expanding powers of state actors, such as qualified immunity.
[58][59] Criminologist Richard Rosenfeld argued that the rise in violent crime following the George Floyd protests was more linked to the COVID-19 pandemic than to calls for police defunding.
[58] Patrick Sharkey, another criminologist, attributed the increase in crime to the Ferguson effect, suggesting that when police reduce their active presence in public spaces, violence can rise due to the absence of that control.
[60] Sociologist Patrick Sharkey has argued that police are effective at reducing violence and that there is substantial evidence that community organizations can play a central role in maintaining public safety.
Sharkey claimed that law-and-order policies and mass incarceration had been effective in reducing violence and highlighted their "staggering costs," proposing a model where residents and local organizations are the primary actors in ensuring safety, with police playing a more limited role focused on violent crime.
[50][61] Criminologists Justin Nix and Scott Wolfe cautioned against drastic budget cuts or disbanding police departments writing for The Washington Post, arguing that such actions could increase crime and disproportionately harm minority communities.
Sociologist Rashawn Ray, writing for the Brookings Institution, stated that much of what police do was misaligned with their skillset and training, and suggests that a reduction in their workload would increase their ability to solve violent crimes.
He further stated: One consistent finding in the social science literature is that if we really want to reduce crime, education equity and the establishment of a work infrastructure is the best approach.
She explained that defunding involves narrowing the scope of police responsibilities and shifting many public safety functions to other entities better equipped to handle them.
[68] A Gallup survey conducted between June 23 and July 6, 2020, found that 81% of Black Americans and 86% of respondents overall wanted police to spend the same or more time in their neighborhoods.
[46] U.S. Representative and Congressional Black Caucus chair Karen Bass said, "I do think that, in cities, in states, we need to look at how we are spending the resources and invest more in our communities.
On November 9, 2020, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn stated that the slogan "Defund the police" was "killing our party" and urged Democrats to stop using it.
[75] A minority of the progressive lawmakers within the Democratic Party including Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez support defunding the police.
[76][77] In a December 2020 interview with journalist Peter Hamby, former U.S. President Barack Obama said that using "defund the police" may cause politicians to lose support and make their statements less effective.
[86] City Comptroller Scott Stringer proposed a plan to save $1.1 billion over four years by reducing the number of officers and cutting overtime, reallocating the funds to social workers, counselors, community-based violence interrupters, and other trained professionals.
[94] In December 2021, following reports of increased crime and drug activity in the Tenderloin, Breed announced her intention to deploy additional police to the area to address the emergency.
[95] In Minneapolis, activist groups Reclaim the Block and Black Visions Collective requested for the police budget to be cut by $45 million.
[96][97] City council member Lisa Bender explained, "Our commitment is to end policing as we know it and to recreate systems of public safety that actually keep us safe.
[99] The New York Times reported that the pledge "has been rejected by the city's mayor, a plurality of residents in recent public opinion polls, and an increasing number of community groups.
[102] In 2020, local policymakers in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and other major US cities have supported some form of defunding or opposing budget increases.
[86] In Milwaukee, an activist group called African-American Roundtable, formed by 65 organizations, asked the city to divert $75 million from the police budget to public health and housing.
[107][108] She defeated incumbent Bill Gray on a platform of defunding the police, decentralizing city government, and establishing community owned utilities.
[113][114] Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair criticized defund the police in a 2021 article for the New Statesman, describing it as "voter-repellent" and "the left's most damaging political slogan since 'the dictatorship of the proletariat.'"
