Defund the police

thumb|When people say “abolish the police,” what they mean is scaling it back. We have used law enforcement to confront a variety of social issues where it was inappropriate. We’ve used them to confront addiction. We’ve used them to confront homelessness. We’ve used them to confront mental health. These are morally bankrupt and practically failed policies. ~ Scott Henson thumb|Defunding the police is not simply about withdrawing funding for law enforcement...It’s about learning that safety, safeguarded by violence, is not really safety. ~Angela Davis "Defund the police" is an American slogan that supports divesting funds from police departments and reallocating them to non-policing forms of public safety and community support, such as social services, youth services, housing, education, healthcare and other community resources. thumb|Defund does not mean abolish policing... defunding police highlights fiscal responsibility, advocates for a market-driven approach to taxpayer money, and has some potential benefits that will reduce police violence and crime. ~Rashawn Ray thumb|left|"Defund the police" sign on a telephone pole in Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 9, 2020 Quotes When people say “abolish the police,” what they mean is scaling it back. We have used law enforcement to confront a variety of social issues where it was inappropriate. We’ve used them to confront addiction. We’ve used them to confront homelessness. We’ve used them to confront mental health. These are morally bankrupt and practically failed policies. Scott Henson quoted in Checks and Balances: Two Texas Criminal Justice Experts on the Fight for Police Reform, by Amal Ahmed, Texas Monthly, (5 June 2020) Right now, there’s a very serious conversation around the country about defunding police departments. We need to divert funds from police departments and put them to other areas within city budgets, to make sure we can provide those services to communities and people that need them...Defunding the police is a critical first step, but that’s definitely not going to fix racism and people’s biases against black people. Chas Moore quoted in Checks and Balances: Two Texas Criminal Justice Experts on the Fight for Police Reform, by Amal Ahmed, Texas Monthly, (5 June 2020) For years, community groups have advocated for defunding law enforcement – taking money away from police and prisons – and reinvesting those funds in services...In fact, police in America kill more people in days than many countries do in years.... 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. What does 'defund the police' mean? The rallying cry sweeping the US – explained, Sam Levin, The Guardian (6 Jun 2020) American policing has never been a neutral institution. The first U.S. city police department was a slave patrol, and modern police forces have directed oppression and violence at Black people to enforce Jim Crow, wage the War on Drugs, and crack down on protests...The idea of defunding...the basic premise is simple: We must cut the astronomical amount of money that our governments spend on law enforcement and give that money to more helpful services like job training, counseling, and violence-prevention programs. Defunding the Police Will Actually Make Us Safer, Paige Fernandez, ACLU (11 June 2020) The call to defund the police is, I think, an abolitionist demand, but it reflects only one aspect of the process represented by the demand. Defunding the police is not simply about withdrawing funding for law enforcement and doing nothing else......It’s about learning that safety, safeguarded by violence, is not really safety. Angela Davis, in Angela Davis on Abolition, Calls to Defund Police, Toppled Racist Statues & Voting in 2020 Election, Democracy Now, (12 June 2020) The Right Is Scared of the Protests. Defunding the police? Dethroning Confederate monuments? What’s next, a better tomorrow? Tom Tomorrow The Nation, (16 June 2020) Defund does not mean abolish policing. And, even some who say abolish, do not necessarily mean to do away with law enforcement altogether. Rather, they want to see the rotten trees of policing chopped down and fresh roots replanted anew. What does ‘defund the police’ mean and does it have merit?, Rashawn Ray, Brookings Institution, June 19, 2020 See also Defund the police Black Lives Matter Criminal justice reform Institutional racism Police reform in the United States Racism Racism in the United States White privilege Category:Law enforcement in the United States Category:Social movements