Admit it, no matter what your political inclination, the first time you
heard this slogan, it sounds like advocating for anarchy. It's
definitely inflammatory. So, why are people saying this? Is this just
crazed protestors who hate the police and want to create an
every-man-for-himself society?
I decided to actually listen to my
more liberal friends and also seek out other informed sources of
information, and here's what I understand is actually being said:
What if, when you dialed 911, it was always a police officer who
responded? If there was a fire, the police would have to be equipped
and trained to put out the fire. If there was a medical emergency, the
police would have to keep you alive and get you to the hospital. And of
course, if there was a crime in progress or evidence to collect and
analyze, the police would also have to be prepared for that.
What you have is a lot of police, who have to be trained, equipped, and
skilled at addressing an enormous variety of emergency situations, and
of course, when the police show up, the stakes are high. So, one
obvious way to help the situation is to specialize: you create a fire
department, using some of the budget that was previously allocated for
police response to emergencies. The fire department can be uniquely
equipped and trained to deal with fires. Their trucks carry hoses and
ladders. What's more: firemen don't carry guns and handcuffs: no one is
afraid that a fireman is going to arrest you, and firemen don't have to
worry about people responding in fear or violently to their presence,
thinking they might be arrested or worse. If the firemen encounter a
situation that calls for police, then they can call the police, but in
general, it's more efficient for police to deal with crime, and firemen
to deal with fires.
Extend that logic to medical situations, and you get EMTs and paramedics with ambulances.
And that's where we are today. But is that enough? Is that even what
we had in the past? What situations are police responding to that could
be better (and more cost effectively) handled by another specialty
under most circumstances? What about adding social workers, who are
uniquely trained, equipped, and empowered to deal with situations such
as domestic violence, mental illness, and drug addiction? That seems
like an obvious step. What institutions can we invest in, other than
courts and jails, that can effectively prevent, reduce, and address
crime and other social issues?
This is what is meant by the
phrase "defund the police". Could they have picked a less sensational
slogan? Maybe, but now they have your attention, and they didn't have
your attention before with the other slogans and messaging on this
topic.
Another aspect of this issue is "bad apples". It's common
for people who are defending the status quo of police accountability
(and lack thereof) in our society to say, "there are a few bad apples,
but there is no systemic problem". Remember when there were "a few bad
apples" in the Catholic Church? Just a few child molesters, that's all.
What was the Catholic Church doing when it became aware of child
abuse? It was covering up their crimes, paying off their victims in
exchange for silence, and moving the "bad apples" around to different
locations, where no one suspected their pattern of behavior. The bad
apples were spoiling the whole barrel, and it was rotten. It needed to
be reformed. Guess what's happening with police? The exact same thing.
They are protected by their colleagues and supervisors and unions.
They call them "gypsy cops". When someone tries to hold them
accountable, they quit or get fired and are hired by another precinct without
scrutiny.
If there was a systemic problem with sexual molestation
in the Catholic church, then there is a systemic problem with abuse of
power, and especially abuse of power towards blacks, in the police
force.
There are more dimensions to this, such as the
militarization of police departments that is on display in cities around
the country right now, deployed with riot gear and armored vehicles
against protestors. They form up a skirmish line, lob tear gas, and
shoot pepper spray, rubber bullets and flash bangs into the crowd. Is
that really the most effective way to prevent riots and vandalism? I
think we can do better.
