Should we defund the police?
While this week we are talking about campaigns and elections, based on the protests we’ve seen across this country in response to the George Floyd killing, I think it is prudent to spend some time discussing police violence and the increasing calls to defund the police. First, please read the article below, which details what defunding the police could actually look like in practice. You do not have to agree with what is outlined in the article, but I want to make sure we are discussing what is actually being proposed.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/05/de…
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zbb0kf6059h6i5c/Lecture%…
Second, what do you think of these proposals? Should police departments be defunded in order to redirect that funding to other sources, such as rehabilitation/addiction/mental health services? Do you think that police departments can be reformed or do we need a different model for providing community safety? Do you, personally, trust the police? Why or why not?
Sample Solution
Exploratory research by Fernandez (2020) show that about six years after NYPD officers murdered Eric Garner in New York City, Minneapolis police officers murdered George Floyd. Activists, advocates, and protestors are still screaming “I can’t breathe” and begging government officials for police reform that will end police violence in Black communities. But today’s demands are bigger and bolder: Now, protesters are advocating for systemic changes that require a complete reimagining of law enforcement in the United States. 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.