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What they do not want is the abrasive and abusive treatment.. One way for communities and police departments to rethink policing in America is to pursue a cultural shift of what it means to be an officer on patrol. [68] In his State of the Union Address of 2022, Biden drew bipartisan approval when he said: "We should all agree: The answer is not to defund the police. [24] Among the general public in the United States, the concept of defunding is unpopular. Its that simple., Around the same time as Rays writing, activist and educator Mariame Kaba wrote a New York Times opinion essay titled, Yes, we mean literally abolish the police., We are not abandoning our communities to violence, Kaba writes. Police currently deal with calls about mental illness, homelessness, domestic disputes, barking dogs, neighbors playing loud music, and various non-criminal activities, on top of actual violations of the law ranging from minor shoplifting by kids to speeding to murder. On Tuesday, a proposal to fundamentally restructure the Minneapolis police department in the wake of George Floyd's death in 2020 was soundly defeated, a setback that even many . [104][105], 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.'" According to the most recent data available, police departments received about $114.5 billion nationwide in 2017 from state and local governments, up from $42.3 billion in 1977. [78] Both Democrats and Republicans have cited association with the defunding movement as a contributing factor in the Democrats' loss of seats in the 2020 House elections and the poorer than expected results in other Democratic campaigns. "This is about ownership. [85], In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti has said he would cut as much as $150million from the Los Angeles Police Department's (LAPD) budget,[9][86] a reversal of his planned increase of $120 million. In a time of rapidly rising violent crimes, it is the very last thing that we should be. [19][20][21][22] In the United States, politicians from both the Democratic and Republican parties have spoken against defunding, although Republicans have sought to link Democrats to the movement in congressional races,[23] and in 2021, the Biden administration rebutted by arguing Republicans were trying to defund the police. Dec 14, 2022. In an interview with The Atlantic, Sharkey stated, "Police presence can reduce violence, but there are lots of other things that reduce violence, too. Most police funding in big cities goes to compensate officers and other personnel. [49] One in four people who are killed by the police have severe mental illness. Myth #1: Defund Means Abolish. [1][97], In Nashville on June 2, 2020, a city budget hearing lasted over ten hours to accommodate the large numbers of residents waiting to take their turn to ask the city to defund the police. ", "Defund the Police: Moving Towards an Anti-Carceral Social Work", "Over the past 60 years, more spending on police hasn't necessarily meant less crime", "Slave Patrols: An Early Form of American Policing", "The racist roots of American policing: From slave patrols to traffic stops", "The police raid that killed two Black Panthers, shook Chicago and changed the nation", "It's Time To Defund The Police And Start Funding Social Workers", "Where it might make sense to cut police budgets", "Adults with severe mental illness account for 1 in 4 people killed in police encounters", "Defund the police? Or raise taxes. The police would be very happy to get rid of responsibilities which were forced upon them in the first place, former New York City police commissioner and former Los Angeles police chief Bill Bratton told The Crime Report earlier this month. After Black Lives Matter protesters last year demanded that cities "Defund the Police," Mayor London Breed held a press conference to announce that her city would be one of the first to do exactly that. Other countries have narrowed their role and boosted other services", "Would Law Enforcement Leaders Support Defunding the Police? [72][73], 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. What is their job supposed to be are they primarily there to kick ass and take names? Smith: When people say "defund the police," this encompasses a spectrum of things from people who are calling to reduce budgets and reallocate funds to social services to others who are calling for the abolition of the institution itself. Despite calls to defund the police, policing does not usually comprise a huge portion of municipal spending. [54] A September 2020 paper by Taleed El-Sabawi of Elon University School of Law and Jennifer J. Carroll of North Carolina State University outlines the considerations in setting up such programs and includes model legislation. by Clark Merrefield, The Journalist's Resource June 29, 2021, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
. [74], U.S. President Donald Trump on June 4, 2020, tweeted "The Radical Left Democrats new theme is 'Defund the Police'. Defunding the police allows experts to step in. Following this, Councilmembers Ide, Matt Westmoreland, Andre Dickens, Natalyn Archilbong, Amir R. Farokhi, Antonio Brown, and Carla Smith voted in favor of the ordinance. [84] In the 2021 New York City mayoral election primary, candidates who campaigned to reduce police spending finished behind others who had not, and the winner, Eric Adams, had promised to increase the city's police force. "Defunding police" means something different to everyone, but the common theme involves cutting funding from police department budgets. The people who generally want to abolish police think police dont prevent crime.. But Camden is still a very poor and distressed community. They want to feel safe. Gaelen Morse/The Columbus Dispatch/AP. Following a year of increased crime and calls to defund the police, voters in U.S. cities weighed in on public safety and policing via ballots this week. "Defund the police" is about reducing the need for criminal justice intervention. As some cities recalibrate police spending, defund the police remains relevant, and contentious, in the national conversation. [84] Some black and Latino members of the city council opposed major cuts to policing, with the majority leader saying it was "colonization" pushed by white progressives, while others supported more cuts. Libertarians support the movement out of a concern for constitutional rights and a stance against what they consider far-reaching and ever-expanding powers given to state actors (for example, qualified immunity). [25], Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee who would go on to win the 2020 election, opposed defunding police forces, arguing instead that policing needed substantial reform. But to take all policing off is something a latte liberal may go for as they sit around the Hamptons discussing this as an academic problem. Camden County took over and in May 2013 formed a new department, the Camden County Police Department, to patrol the city. When asked whether police should be abolished, 51% of Black respondents said no, compared with 22% in support. ATLANTA - An Atlanta mayoral candidate announced his plan to curb a rising in crime, particularly gun violence, in the city. [63], Christy E. Lopez, in a column for The Washington Post, supported the idea of defunding the police, stating that reform is not enough. We use metaphor to communicate values, Stoughton says. In a long tradition of global Black solidarity, communities across Turtle Island and around the world are sharing strategies and joining together to demand divestment from criminal punishment systems that kill, harm and loot resources from our communities, and investments in Black communities . In 2017, over 95% went towards operational costs, such as salaries and benefits. A handful of cities in recent years have proposed divesting traffic stops from policing. ", "How a Pledge to Dismantle the Minneapolis Police Collapsed", "Minneapolis City Council Votes to Remove $8 Million From Police Budget", "Minneapolis voters reject plan to overhaul city policing", "Minneapolis police spending rises as defund movement fades", "The Cities Taking Up Calls to Defund the Police", "Austin City Council cuts police department budget by one-third, mainly through reorganizing some duties out from law enforcement oversight", "Social justice advocate Indira Sheumaker defeats incumbent Bill Gray in Des Moines City Council race", "Black Lives Matter activist wins in Iowa on a 'defund the police' platform", "Opinion | Policing is a public health crisis", "Calls to defund the police gain traction with some Canadian policymakers. Buckhead has a population of approximately 100,000 people. Last week, the White House announced a new strategy to address violent crime. Senator Bernie Sanders also opposed defunding, arguing for more accountability for police, along with better education and training, and making their job better defined. Defunding or re-appropriating law enforcement funding is an impulsive, counterproductive approach to addressing issues that require a systemic set of solutions. AP Photo/Sudhin S. Thanawala By completing this form, you agree to receive communications from The Journalist's Resource and to allow HKS to store your data. ", On November 9, 2020, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn stated that "'Defund the police' is killing our party, and we've got to stop it. The Yale Law Journal, March 2021. "[9], In Canada, politicians in major cities have expressed interest in diverting some police funds. He writes that across government as a whole, only a very small portion of spending goes to the police, and that while more social spending would probably reduce crime, that does not need to come out of police budgets, noting that the United States actually has 35% fewer police officers per capita than the rest of the world. We must investigate the ideas that motivate and justify things as they are. But what does it mean? Instead of defunding police departments, they propose states redistribute policing funds equitably to localities, including money for officer training and accountability efforts. Hitchens, the University of Maryland criminologist, thinks spillover is likely when police flood a neighborhood experiencing high crime. Elon University Law Legal Studies Research Paper, February 2021. And yet one can argue that law enforcement is an authoritarian institution that historically has inflicted violence on black people and continues to do so today. Defunding the police is fundamentally about acknowledging the system is broken and there has to be a better way. Clark Merrefield joined The Journalists Resource in 2019 after working as a reporter for Newsweek and The Daily Beast, as a researcher and editor on three books related to the Great Recession, and as a federal government communications strategist. June 14, 2022. I never voted to defund the police," Dickens said, adding that he voted for police raises in the past. [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. Sign up for our free newsletter, and receive a weekly update of important new resources to inform your news coverage and consumption. Examining Guardian and Warrior Orientations across Racial and Ethnic LinesStacey Clifton, Jose Torres and James Hawdon. This is partially rooted in the "war on crime", launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which prioritized crime control via law enforcement and prisons. A new video appearing to show police force against a Black teenage girl has gone viral. ", "About Us | Scottish Violence Reduction Unit", "Tony Blair: Without total change Labour will die", "Are the Conservatives still the party of law and order? [96], In 2020, local policymakers in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and other US cities have supported some form of defunding or opposing budget increases. The news release from the Postal Service said the stamp is designed to honor how Lewis lived and the legacy he left behind as a civil rights leader and notable political figure. The Black Lives Matter movement has begun a petition to defund the police, saying: "We call for a national defunding of police. Some activists also believe that if more funds were diverted to help treat and support those with mental health issues, there could be better outcomes. That means you are free to republish our content both online and in print, and we encourage you to do so via the republish this article button. [1][2] Police abolitionists call for replacing existing police forces with other systems of public safety, like housing, employment, community health, education, and other programs. Are they there to advance public safety? The city appointed a community-advisory committee, and Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens has said that there is "a lot of room for input." [3] The advisory committee does not include representatives from environmental groups, and does include representatives from the police and fire departments and the Dickens administration. But if you get at the root causes of crime poverty, poor schools, poor housing attacking it from that angle has been demonstrated time and time again as an effective way to reduce crime.. These Black Lawmakers", "Progressive Denial Won't Stop Violent Crime", "Black Lives Matter co-founder explains 'Defund the police' slogan", "S.F. Under this model, many services that were previously provided by law enforcement would be provided by specialized response teams. Calls to defund the police over the past year are aimed at rethinking policing entirely. 13 June 2020. We are dealing with a mayor who voted to defund the police." The measure is expected to face resistance in the state House. [71], A small minority of the progressive lawmakers within the Democratic Party including Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez support defunding the police, believing that "Policing in our country is inherently & intentionally racist" and thus have called for police departments to be dismantled. Overall crime per 100,000 Camdenites decreased by more than half from 2012 to 2020, according to CCPD data, while the number of shooting homicides fell by 68%. Council member and mayoral candidate Andre Dickens said he too was targeted. Rather, having more officers per capita provides greater ability to dedicate resources to community- and problem-oriented policing approaches that have been shown to reduce crime and improve community satisfaction." The rallying cry sweeping the US explained", "What Exactly Does It Mean to Defund the Police? Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome said in June 2020 that she did not plan to defund the police. Police Reform through a Power LensJocelyn Simonson. We explore what defund the police means to criminologists, activists and legal scholars, recent research and what the future of policing in America might look like. On average, there were 34 gunshot patients treated every three months before the policing changes, and 26 quarterly gunshot patients afterward. But, at its core, defund the police is about reallocation of funds to more social service-based agencies, whether its housing or mental health.. [80] City comptroller Scott Stringer said the city could save $1.1 billion over four years by cutting the numbers of police and reducing overtime and could divert the funds to "social workers, counselors, community-based violence interrupters, and other trained professionals". Some prominent law enforcement professionals have indicated an openness for shifting police responsibilities away from non-criminal situations. See Nicole Goodkind, The Vast Majority of Americans Don't Want to Defund the Police, F. [38] While the officers per capita in major cities have not significantly changed, they have been equipped with more technology, gear, and training in the last few decades. I am the complete opposite, more money for Law Enforcement! [94] In the 2021 Minneapolis municipal election, voters rejected a ballot measure to amend the city's charter to eliminate a required minimum number of police officers based on the city's population and that would have replaced the police department with a department of public safety.
What they do not want is the abrasive and abusive treatment.. One way for communities and police departments to rethink policing in America is to pursue a cultural shift of what it means to be an officer on patrol. [68] In his State of the Union Address of 2022, Biden drew bipartisan approval when he said: "We should all agree: The answer is not to defund the police. [24] Among the general public in the United States, the concept of defunding is unpopular. Its that simple., Around the same time as Rays writing, activist and educator Mariame Kaba wrote a New York Times opinion essay titled, Yes, we mean literally abolish the police., We are not abandoning our communities to violence, Kaba writes. Police currently deal with calls about mental illness, homelessness, domestic disputes, barking dogs, neighbors playing loud music, and various non-criminal activities, on top of actual violations of the law ranging from minor shoplifting by kids to speeding to murder. On Tuesday, a proposal to fundamentally restructure the Minneapolis police department in the wake of George Floyd's death in 2020 was soundly defeated, a setback that even many . [104][105], 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.'" According to the most recent data available, police departments received about $114.5 billion nationwide in 2017 from state and local governments, up from $42.3 billion in 1977. [78] Both Democrats and Republicans have cited association with the defunding movement as a contributing factor in the Democrats' loss of seats in the 2020 House elections and the poorer than expected results in other Democratic campaigns. "This is about ownership. [85], In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti has said he would cut as much as $150million from the Los Angeles Police Department's (LAPD) budget,[9][86] a reversal of his planned increase of $120 million. In a time of rapidly rising violent crimes, it is the very last thing that we should be. [19][20][21][22] In the United States, politicians from both the Democratic and Republican parties have spoken against defunding, although Republicans have sought to link Democrats to the movement in congressional races,[23] and in 2021, the Biden administration rebutted by arguing Republicans were trying to defund the police. Dec 14, 2022. In an interview with The Atlantic, Sharkey stated, "Police presence can reduce violence, but there are lots of other things that reduce violence, too. Most police funding in big cities goes to compensate officers and other personnel. [49] One in four people who are killed by the police have severe mental illness. Myth #1: Defund Means Abolish. [1][97], In Nashville on June 2, 2020, a city budget hearing lasted over ten hours to accommodate the large numbers of residents waiting to take their turn to ask the city to defund the police. ", "Defund the Police: Moving Towards an Anti-Carceral Social Work", "Over the past 60 years, more spending on police hasn't necessarily meant less crime", "Slave Patrols: An Early Form of American Policing", "The racist roots of American policing: From slave patrols to traffic stops", "The police raid that killed two Black Panthers, shook Chicago and changed the nation", "It's Time To Defund The Police And Start Funding Social Workers", "Where it might make sense to cut police budgets", "Adults with severe mental illness account for 1 in 4 people killed in police encounters", "Defund the police? Or raise taxes. The police would be very happy to get rid of responsibilities which were forced upon them in the first place, former New York City police commissioner and former Los Angeles police chief Bill Bratton told The Crime Report earlier this month. After Black Lives Matter protesters last year demanded that cities "Defund the Police," Mayor London Breed held a press conference to announce that her city would be one of the first to do exactly that. Other countries have narrowed their role and boosted other services", "Would Law Enforcement Leaders Support Defunding the Police? [72][73], 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. What is their job supposed to be are they primarily there to kick ass and take names? Smith: When people say "defund the police," this encompasses a spectrum of things from people who are calling to reduce budgets and reallocate funds to social services to others who are calling for the abolition of the institution itself. Despite calls to defund the police, policing does not usually comprise a huge portion of municipal spending. [54] A September 2020 paper by Taleed El-Sabawi of Elon University School of Law and Jennifer J. Carroll of North Carolina State University outlines the considerations in setting up such programs and includes model legislation. by Clark Merrefield, The Journalist's Resource June 29, 2021, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
. [74], U.S. President Donald Trump on June 4, 2020, tweeted "The Radical Left Democrats new theme is 'Defund the Police'. Defunding the police allows experts to step in. Following this, Councilmembers Ide, Matt Westmoreland, Andre Dickens, Natalyn Archilbong, Amir R. Farokhi, Antonio Brown, and Carla Smith voted in favor of the ordinance. [84] In the 2021 New York City mayoral election primary, candidates who campaigned to reduce police spending finished behind others who had not, and the winner, Eric Adams, had promised to increase the city's police force. "Defunding police" means something different to everyone, but the common theme involves cutting funding from police department budgets. The people who generally want to abolish police think police dont prevent crime.. But Camden is still a very poor and distressed community. They want to feel safe. Gaelen Morse/The Columbus Dispatch/AP. Following a year of increased crime and calls to defund the police, voters in U.S. cities weighed in on public safety and policing via ballots this week. "Defund the police" is about reducing the need for criminal justice intervention. As some cities recalibrate police spending, defund the police remains relevant, and contentious, in the national conversation. [84] Some black and Latino members of the city council opposed major cuts to policing, with the majority leader saying it was "colonization" pushed by white progressives, while others supported more cuts. Libertarians support the movement out of a concern for constitutional rights and a stance against what they consider far-reaching and ever-expanding powers given to state actors (for example, qualified immunity). [25], Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee who would go on to win the 2020 election, opposed defunding police forces, arguing instead that policing needed substantial reform. But to take all policing off is something a latte liberal may go for as they sit around the Hamptons discussing this as an academic problem. Camden County took over and in May 2013 formed a new department, the Camden County Police Department, to patrol the city. When asked whether police should be abolished, 51% of Black respondents said no, compared with 22% in support. ATLANTA - An Atlanta mayoral candidate announced his plan to curb a rising in crime, particularly gun violence, in the city. [63], Christy E. Lopez, in a column for The Washington Post, supported the idea of defunding the police, stating that reform is not enough. We use metaphor to communicate values, Stoughton says. In a long tradition of global Black solidarity, communities across Turtle Island and around the world are sharing strategies and joining together to demand divestment from criminal punishment systems that kill, harm and loot resources from our communities, and investments in Black communities . In 2017, over 95% went towards operational costs, such as salaries and benefits. A handful of cities in recent years have proposed divesting traffic stops from policing. ", "How a Pledge to Dismantle the Minneapolis Police Collapsed", "Minneapolis City Council Votes to Remove $8 Million From Police Budget", "Minneapolis voters reject plan to overhaul city policing", "Minneapolis police spending rises as defund movement fades", "The Cities Taking Up Calls to Defund the Police", "Austin City Council cuts police department budget by one-third, mainly through reorganizing some duties out from law enforcement oversight", "Social justice advocate Indira Sheumaker defeats incumbent Bill Gray in Des Moines City Council race", "Black Lives Matter activist wins in Iowa on a 'defund the police' platform", "Opinion | Policing is a public health crisis", "Calls to defund the police gain traction with some Canadian policymakers. Buckhead has a population of approximately 100,000 people. Last week, the White House announced a new strategy to address violent crime. Senator Bernie Sanders also opposed defunding, arguing for more accountability for police, along with better education and training, and making their job better defined. Defunding or re-appropriating law enforcement funding is an impulsive, counterproductive approach to addressing issues that require a systemic set of solutions. AP Photo/Sudhin S. Thanawala By completing this form, you agree to receive communications from The Journalist's Resource and to allow HKS to store your data. ", On November 9, 2020, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn stated that "'Defund the police' is killing our party, and we've got to stop it. The Yale Law Journal, March 2021. "[9], In Canada, politicians in major cities have expressed interest in diverting some police funds. He writes that across government as a whole, only a very small portion of spending goes to the police, and that while more social spending would probably reduce crime, that does not need to come out of police budgets, noting that the United States actually has 35% fewer police officers per capita than the rest of the world. We must investigate the ideas that motivate and justify things as they are. But what does it mean? Instead of defunding police departments, they propose states redistribute policing funds equitably to localities, including money for officer training and accountability efforts. Hitchens, the University of Maryland criminologist, thinks spillover is likely when police flood a neighborhood experiencing high crime. Elon University Law Legal Studies Research Paper, February 2021. And yet one can argue that law enforcement is an authoritarian institution that historically has inflicted violence on black people and continues to do so today. Defunding the police is fundamentally about acknowledging the system is broken and there has to be a better way. Clark Merrefield joined The Journalists Resource in 2019 after working as a reporter for Newsweek and The Daily Beast, as a researcher and editor on three books related to the Great Recession, and as a federal government communications strategist. June 14, 2022. I never voted to defund the police," Dickens said, adding that he voted for police raises in the past. [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. Sign up for our free newsletter, and receive a weekly update of important new resources to inform your news coverage and consumption. Examining Guardian and Warrior Orientations across Racial and Ethnic LinesStacey Clifton, Jose Torres and James Hawdon. This is partially rooted in the "war on crime", launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which prioritized crime control via law enforcement and prisons. A new video appearing to show police force against a Black teenage girl has gone viral. ", "About Us | Scottish Violence Reduction Unit", "Tony Blair: Without total change Labour will die", "Are the Conservatives still the party of law and order? [96], In 2020, local policymakers in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and other US cities have supported some form of defunding or opposing budget increases. The news release from the Postal Service said the stamp is designed to honor how Lewis lived and the legacy he left behind as a civil rights leader and notable political figure. The Black Lives Matter movement has begun a petition to defund the police, saying: "We call for a national defunding of police. Some activists also believe that if more funds were diverted to help treat and support those with mental health issues, there could be better outcomes. That means you are free to republish our content both online and in print, and we encourage you to do so via the republish this article button. [1][2] Police abolitionists call for replacing existing police forces with other systems of public safety, like housing, employment, community health, education, and other programs. Are they there to advance public safety? The city appointed a community-advisory committee, and Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens has said that there is "a lot of room for input." [3] The advisory committee does not include representatives from environmental groups, and does include representatives from the police and fire departments and the Dickens administration. But if you get at the root causes of crime poverty, poor schools, poor housing attacking it from that angle has been demonstrated time and time again as an effective way to reduce crime.. These Black Lawmakers", "Progressive Denial Won't Stop Violent Crime", "Black Lives Matter co-founder explains 'Defund the police' slogan", "S.F. Under this model, many services that were previously provided by law enforcement would be provided by specialized response teams. Calls to defund the police over the past year are aimed at rethinking policing entirely. 13 June 2020. We are dealing with a mayor who voted to defund the police." The measure is expected to face resistance in the state House. [71], A small minority of the progressive lawmakers within the Democratic Party including Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez support defunding the police, believing that "Policing in our country is inherently & intentionally racist" and thus have called for police departments to be dismantled. Overall crime per 100,000 Camdenites decreased by more than half from 2012 to 2020, according to CCPD data, while the number of shooting homicides fell by 68%. Council member and mayoral candidate Andre Dickens said he too was targeted. Rather, having more officers per capita provides greater ability to dedicate resources to community- and problem-oriented policing approaches that have been shown to reduce crime and improve community satisfaction." The rallying cry sweeping the US explained", "What Exactly Does It Mean to Defund the Police? Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome said in June 2020 that she did not plan to defund the police. Police Reform through a Power LensJocelyn Simonson. We explore what defund the police means to criminologists, activists and legal scholars, recent research and what the future of policing in America might look like. On average, there were 34 gunshot patients treated every three months before the policing changes, and 26 quarterly gunshot patients afterward. But, at its core, defund the police is about reallocation of funds to more social service-based agencies, whether its housing or mental health.. [80] City comptroller Scott Stringer said the city could save $1.1 billion over four years by cutting the numbers of police and reducing overtime and could divert the funds to "social workers, counselors, community-based violence interrupters, and other trained professionals". Some prominent law enforcement professionals have indicated an openness for shifting police responsibilities away from non-criminal situations. See Nicole Goodkind, The Vast Majority of Americans Don't Want to Defund the Police, F. [38] While the officers per capita in major cities have not significantly changed, they have been equipped with more technology, gear, and training in the last few decades. I am the complete opposite, more money for Law Enforcement! [94] In the 2021 Minneapolis municipal election, voters rejected a ballot measure to amend the city's charter to eliminate a required minimum number of police officers based on the city's population and that would have replaced the police department with a department of public safety.