Defunding the Police
“How Can We Win” by David Jones Media, featuring Kimberly Jones
It’s difficult to put all that transpired in the last two weeks into words. The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many black men, women and children throughout history have sparked global outrage. Thousands of people have rallied together to protest their wrongful deaths at the hands of the police. This further proves the continued relevance of the Black Lives Matter Movement; despite it being 2020, America still views black lives as inferior, or even worse, expendable. Black communities in America have every right to mourn, to be angry, and to demand change. Unfortunately, it’s becoming more and more apparent that systemic racism is ingrained into the American police force. That begs the question: How can people fight for justice when those sworn to “serve and protect” are a part of a broken system? The answer may lie in a new solution that’s been circulating major news outlets within the last week, one that might not be as radical as it sounds: defunding the police.
In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, the city of Minneapolis, MN is taking expansive measures to ensure police accountability. Just yesterday, nine out of 13 city council members, in a veto-proof majority, voted to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). In doing so, the city council plans on analyzing the city budget and redirecting funds, which were intended for the police force, towards programs that would assist vulnerable communities, particularly communities of color. This initiative faced pushback from Jacob Frey (D), the mayor of Minneapolis, who reiterated that while he supports efforts to reform the MPD, he doesn’t believe in their complete abolishment. Mayor Frey isn’t alone in thinking that dissolving all police is a drastic choice. In a statement today, President Trump (R) stood firmly against defunding the police, reinforcing his views about maintaining “law and order” that he ran with during his presidential campaign.
Voice of America
During this tumultuous time, some people may equate defunding the police with eliminating all police in America. However, according to the initiative’s advocates, that is not the case. It’s a common saying that money is power, and vice versa. If that’s true, then police departments have a lot of power. In 2017, it was reported that $115 billion was spent by state and local governments on police, with another $79 billion direct towards corrections. Roughly 97% of the money spent on the police is geared towards operational costs (i.e., salaries, benefits, etc.).
US Census Bureau
To demonstrate how much money police departments get, when Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) of New York City proposed to make a $23.8 million cut in the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) funding, that makes up for less than 0.4% of its total budget. Compare this to the proposed 3% reduction of the Department of Education’s budget. That’s not to mention the $5.4 billion devoted to funding the 1033 program, which requires the U.S. Department of Defense to give excess military equipment to local police departments across the United States. All of this funding has resulted in the militarization of the police, which has only led to an increase in them being feared by the people they were sworn to protect. It’s been continuously proven that those who live in fear are people of color. Specifically regarding black people, it’s estimated that 1 in 1,000 black men will be killed by the police.
YouGov
At its core, defunding the police is a movement designed for communities to take power back from the police, who, for generations, have unfairly wielded it. By doing so, black communities can begin the arduous process of rebuilding and healing. This sentiment is best expressed by Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, who explains why defunding the police is important:
“But I do think that the demand of defunding law enforcement becomes a central demand ... And, with that demand, it’s not just about taking away money from the police, it’s about reinvesting those dollars into black communities. Communities that have been deeply divested from, communities that, some have never felt the impact of having true resources. And so we have to reconsider what we’re resourcing. I’ve been saying we have an economy of punishment over an economy of care.”
We may have a potential guide for what a city with resources properly allocated to the people looks like. While Minneapolis is still in the process of reforming itself, the city of Camden, NJ shifted to community-policing all the way back in 2013. Since this massive change, Camden saw a stark decrease in homicide rates, as well as a 95% decrease in excessive force complaints.
This is a pivotal moment in American history. We have to realize that, in order to make things better for future generations, we must reevaluate the foundations upon which this nation is built. From the police that are meant to protect us, to the very institution of racism, we have to choose which structures need to be fixed or torn down.