Questions for those who seek to defund the police.

[jcmaine72]

First off, let me begin by saying that I'm a proud Socialist who stands in firm solidarity with the peaceful protests and against police brutality. I favor police reform over defunding.

That said, for those who seek to defund the police entirely and replace them with social workers, how would complex crimes be solved?

Earlier today, I saw one of those of those cold case documentaries, in which a police detective literally spent thousands of hours (including many unpaid ones on his own time) trying to find and arrest the brutal killer and rapist of an eight year-old girl back in 1996, which he eventually did.

Would a social worker be able or willing to do that? And if there were no police at all, who do we call in the middle of the night when someone with a gun breaks into our houses while we're hiding in a closet without a gun?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[Baclava]

1. Or worse, only affluent area codes would get 911 calls answered if they defund police

[Crunchy Frog]

2. All I want is for civil suits to become easier, and

for any and all settlement money to come out of the police pension fund.

The only person I know of who has been arguing what you describe is probably trolling IMO. I argued with them for awhile last night and then decided to stop feeding the trolling behavior.

[jcmaine72]

3. Actually I had Minneapolis City Council member Jeremiah Ellison's

statement yesterday in mind when I asked this question, not any DU'er. He is calling for the complete dismantling of the Minneapolis PD. Many progressives seem to agree with him.

I'm down with demilitarizing the police, or reallocating monies for better training, but dismantling the police entirely seems excessive.

Just curious what people here thought.

[stopdiggin]

4. With you .. I'm interested to hear

what kind of proposals are brought forward. But I have to admit to some skepticism on the face of it. I think most societies have found that they need (and desire?) policing (of some stripe). And I wonder if U.S. citizens are any where near ready to move away from something that seems so fundamental to our fabric.

(But fire away. I'm listening.) -- -- --

[canetoad]

5. Good post

And one that should not be glossed over. I have no practical answers besides training.

[Voltaire2]

6. Mostly it means drastically reduce police funding.

Not eliminate police departments entirely. So I’m sure you can find examples of someone calling for elimination, but that is not what most of us want.

For decades now we have been pouring money into the militarization and expansion of police departments in our cities and states while reducing budgets for social services. Now we have para military police forces armed with vast amounts of weapons and surveillance gear trained to brutally suppress all perceived resistance to their authority. It’s madness and it has to stop.

[uponit7771]

8. +1, the police are rioting now and they have the weapons to do it.

[Raine]

7. Exactly! nt

[meadowlander]

9. I think the point is that if they can afford to buy tanks, they are overfunded.

Provide civilian oversight of spending and pare it back to what is necessary to protect and serve not play out paramilitary fantasies.

That's our tax dollars they're pissing away firing at unarmed protestors.