The ‘Defund the Police’ movement began during the riots that started after the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020.
Many people do not support defunding the police because they believe it means to get rid of or abolish the police. This is not the case at all.
This movement centered around defunding the police was started as a result of police officers failing to protect the citizens. Because of the deaths of those such as Floyd and Breonna Taylor, it is obvious that they are not being protected. Police have been killing innocent black people for no reason and that has to come to an end.
Some jurisdictions have tried reform training and body cameras to try and ‘fix’ their officers. None of this has worked. According to the U.S. Census, the U.S. spends about $115 billion on police each year. Defunding the police simply means to take some of the money that is spent on law enforcement and put it towards other services.
According to The Guardian, “government budgets should prioritize housing, employment, community health, and education instead of police officers.” These are just a few of the examples of some areas that could have more funding if the police were defunded.
One of the most common examples of explaining the good behind the defunding of police is people with mental health issues. If, for example, someone with schizophrenia was having a psychotic break, it would be more beneficial to have a mental health professional respond to that than a police officer, who has no mental health training.
Another common example are rape victims. It would be more beneficial for a victim’s counselor to come and help than a police officer. Police officers do not go through any type of mental health training for their job.
Stefani Cabusora, a freshman biology major, said “we don’t need all that money going to people who only train for six months.”
Cabusora also said “that money could go to improve ‘bad’ neighborhoods that the police patrol all the time. The money should go to help communities instead.” In regards to where defunding the police should start, Cabusora said “it should start at a national level so people will take it seriously and then it can go in depth in the communities.”
Not only do everyday people support defunding the police, but celebrities do as well. Celebrities such as Lizzo, John Legend, Natalie Portman and Jane Fonda have signed a letter saying that they support defunding the police.
Some cities, such as New York City and Los Angeles have already begun cutting funds from their departments and putting it towards other things. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, said in June that he would cut $150 million from the city’s police budget and put it towards black communities and communities of color, according to the LA Times. The NYC Council voted in July to cut $1 billion from the city’s police budget and put it towards youth and community development programs.
The defund the police movement has nothing to do with getting rid of the police department. The movement is simply about taking some funding from the department and putting it towards other things to make our communities better and safer, which is exactly what this country needs.
Photo by Emma Crouch
