Better oversight and accountability, but throwing out the baby with the bathwater? But as a police officer I’ve been in too many situations where we had to bail out the social workers that some folks want to replace us with.
As I have posted elsewhere: there would not be a demand to “disband” or “defund” the police if they were properly trained and obeyed the laws they are paid to enforce.
Before rejecting it out of hand, you need to READ about it.
“Defunding” does not mean letting anarchy and vigilante committees reign. It means to put money where it belongs, so police don’t have to handle homelessness, mental illness, drug problems, and everything else.
This coupled with being trained to be “warriors” and “killers” rather than guardians, and then stocking them with ridiculous amounts of military equipment, are setting them up to be an army against the people they supposedly serve.
Camden, NJ did a major defunding: they completely rebuilt their police from the ground up (yes, that meant letting everyone go and making them apply again for their jobs), around what they WANTED them to do. And it worked.
Anyone who can should watch John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight for June 7th, which for the first time is devoted entirely to one subject: the police. The problem, the reasons for the problem, and solutions.
Throwing out police departments without having a solid working alternative to take over? Leaving it to the citizens to police themselves doesn’t work and often leads to a rise in vigilantes. That usually results in rampant violence.
Don’t fall for it…until you understand what it is. Then you can fall for it when you realize that cops should have to be animal control, or mental health workers, or dozens of other tasks that should be handled by someone OTHER THAN police.
When you finally realize that “defunding the police” just means “Let cops be cops and get them off the hook for doing everything else”, then you can fall for it because it’s a good thing and it needs to happen.
No, don’t fall for the right-wing shifting of focus away from the demonstrable, mindless police brutality from people who should have never, ever been given a badge and gun.
Flatlander, purveyor of fine covfefe almost 4 years ago
Better oversight and accountability, but throwing out the baby with the bathwater? But as a police officer I’ve been in too many situations where we had to bail out the social workers that some folks want to replace us with.
Radish the wordsmith almost 4 years ago
Defund the banana Republican’s, demilitarize the cops.
Darsan54 Premium Member almost 4 years ago
“Shift funds” would be a better description.
RAGs almost 4 years ago
As I have posted elsewhere: there would not be a demand to “disband” or “defund” the police if they were properly trained and obeyed the laws they are paid to enforce.
Motivemagus almost 4 years ago
Before rejecting it out of hand, you need to READ about it.
“Defunding” does not mean letting anarchy and vigilante committees reign. It means to put money where it belongs, so police don’t have to handle homelessness, mental illness, drug problems, and everything else.
This coupled with being trained to be “warriors” and “killers” rather than guardians, and then stocking them with ridiculous amounts of military equipment, are setting them up to be an army against the people they supposedly serve.
Camden, NJ did a major defunding: they completely rebuilt their police from the ground up (yes, that meant letting everyone go and making them apply again for their jobs), around what they WANTED them to do. And it worked.
Anyone who can should watch John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight for June 7th, which for the first time is devoted entirely to one subject: the police. The problem, the reasons for the problem, and solutions.
kentmarx36 almost 4 years ago
Throwing out police departments without having a solid working alternative to take over? Leaving it to the citizens to police themselves doesn’t work and often leads to a rise in vigilantes. That usually results in rampant violence.
Daeder almost 4 years ago
Don’t fall for it…until you understand what it is. Then you can fall for it when you realize that cops should have to be animal control, or mental health workers, or dozens of other tasks that should be handled by someone OTHER THAN police.
When you finally realize that “defunding the police” just means “Let cops be cops and get them off the hook for doing everything else”, then you can fall for it because it’s a good thing and it needs to happen.
Stephen Runnels Premium Member almost 4 years ago