User:Evb16/sandbox

Defund the Police: (existing article - bold and italics denotes already existing text)

Lead:

"Defund the police" is a slogan that supports divesting funds from police departments and reallocating them to non-policing forms of public safety and community support. These services might include 'social services, youth services, housing, education, healthcare and other community resources. Activists who use the phrase may do so with varying intentions; some seek modest reductions, while others argue for full divestment as a step toward the abolition of contemporary police services. Activists that support the defunding of police departments often argue that investing in community programs could provide a better crime deterrent for communities; funds would go toward addressing social issues, like poverty, homelessness, and mental disorders.' Activists also note that police officers' skillsets are often out of sync with the social interactions that they have, and can contribute to the escalation of violence in certain situations. Police abolitionists call for replacing existing police forces with other systems of public safety, like housing, employment, community health, education, and other programs.

The Defund the Police movement has been around as early as 1991 after Rodney King was a victim of police brutality. The slogan was also used during protests against police brutality in 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri–despite relative unpopularity at the time. In 2016, the slogan became more popularized–not well known, however–after The Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of more than 50 black-led organizations, adopted the idea into their organizing vision. This marked a shift away from previous calls for fair treatment under the law for Black Americans. After George Floyd’s death in May of 2020, Black Visions Collective was one of the first groups to employ the slogan and call for a defunding of the police. Oluchi Omeoga–an organizer and core team member with Black Visions Collective–stated, “It’s different than the 2013, 2012, 2017 iteration of the Black Lives Matter movement, we’re no longer asking for convictions or folks to be indicted. We’re asking for an actual narrative shift, a seismic shift in the systems of police. ” The modern epicenter of the defund the police movement is in Minneapolis. In 2020, many cities have began reallocating funds away from police and into community services in line with activists' demands.

The "defund the police" slogan became popular 'during the George Floyd protests starting in May 2020. According to Jenna Wortham and Matthew Yglesias, the slogan was popularized by the Black Visions Collective shortly after the death of George Floyd.'

' Black Lives Matter, Movement for Black Lives, and other activists have used the phrase to call for police budget reductions and to delegate certain police responsibilities to other organizations. In Black Reconstruction, first published in 1935, W. E. B. Du Bois wrote about "abolition-democracy", which advocated for the removal of institutions that were rooted in racist and repressive practices, including prisons, convict leasing, and white police forces. In the 1960s, activists such as Angela Davis advocated for the defunding or abolition of police departments. The 2017 book The End of Policing by Alex S. Vitale has been called "... a manual of sorts for the defund movement."'

W. E. B. Du Bios, Ida B. Wells, and other activists fought against policing ideas at this time because systemic police violence has always been present for Black Americans. Police work in the United States evolved in South Carolina in 1704, where white "patrollers" would patrol enslaved people working on plantations. Patrolling supposedly ended after the Civil War, but during reconstruction many local sheriffs functioned like "slave patrols", enforcing segregation and disenfranchisement of freed African Americans.

'Some sociologists, criminologists, and journalists have criticized aspects of the police defunding movement. In the United States, politicians from both the Democratic and Republican parties have spoken against defunding, although Republicans have sought to link Democrats to the movement in congressional races. Among the general public in the United States, the concept of defunding is unpopular.' However, the concept of divesting some money away from the police and into communities and social services is much more popular.

Popularity:

Despite Biden’s victory, democrats consistently underperformed pollster’s expectations in the 2020 elections. Democrats in the House of Representatives were expected to make gains, but instead, House Republicans gained a net of 7 seats. Senate Democrats were also expected to retake control of the senate but only made modest gains after Georgia’s runoff in January. Different debates about messaging ensued after a disappointing underperformance for democrats. Some cite the slogan “defund the police” as unappealing to moderate democrats and republicans and actually may have impacted races. Anvil Strategies conducted a focus group activity with participants who leaned towards Biden but ended up voting to re-elect Donald Trump. Seventy percent of participants in the group had a negative view of Trump. While 80% of the group agreed that racism exists within the criminal justice system and 60% had a favorable view of the Black Lives Matter Movement, only one participant agreed with defunding the police.

Despite explaining the meaning of defund the police, participants agreed that they felt as if they were being lied to, and that the slogan ‘defund the police’ was synonymous with abolition. On the other hand, 70% of participants said that they would support reducing police funding and reallocating it to social services and community violence prevention programs. These voters seem to be very influenced by rhetoric that paints democrats as “anti-police” and “pro-crime.” The study concluded that the slogan was deeply unpopular with moderate voters, even though these voters agree with underlying claims. A Reuters/Ipsos poll in June of 2020 asked about “proposals to move some money currently going to police budgets into better officer training, local programs for homelessness, mental health assistance, and domestic violence.” This proposal outpolled the idea of “defund the police” by 72 points. Such sources claim that the slogan ‘defund the police’ creates Republican campaign ads that are successful at winning over moderate voters.

Progressive Democrats such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez disagree with these conclusions. After a controversial statement by former President Obama in early December of 2020, AOC wrote on Twitter, “The thing that critics of activists don’t get is that they tried playing the ‘polite language’ policy game and all it did was make them easier to ignore, it wasn’t until they made folks uncomfortable that there was traction to do ANYTHING even if it wasn’t their full demands. ” She goes on to state that these sorts of policies are supposed to make people uncomfortable and reflect on how our institutions operate. Others, including Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, and Ilhan Omar defended the slogan, with the consensus that the message conveyed within ‘defund the police’ is to save lives. Progressives argue that the slogan had little to do with the way that moderate democrats voted. In fact, most progressives agree that they are favored when given the choice between an outsider and an establishment democrat. Each of the key races in the 2020 election consisted of moderates rather than progressive democrats, and this was the problem. This was shown in a Data for Progress and YouGov Blue poll where progressive policies were overwhelmingly preferred.

Politicians

More progressive politicians like Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Presley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, are calling for a comprehensive redistribution of funds back into the community and away from the police. They want to challenge the notion that more police is equivalent to more public safety. Tlaib and Presley introduced the BREATHE Act –a project created by the Movement for Black Lives–to the House of Representatives. The Act hoped to promote programs that view violent crime as a public health problem, requiring public health-style responses. Establishment democrats including Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and others oppose “defunding the police.”

 Cities: 

Los Angeles, California:

In early July, the Los Angeles City Council voted 12-2 to deliver a $150 million budget cut to the Los Angeles Police Department. In April of 2020, Mayor Eric Garcetti was pushing for a 7% increase in the LAPD budget but quickly pivoted after protests over the killing of George Floyd. The two opposing votes said that they wanted more money for community policing programs, not a reactive cut. Of the $150 million in cuts to the LAPD, about $97 million would come from cuts to overtime pay for police officers. However, if officers do work overtime they will be able to “bank” their hours and receive a higher salary in the next year. Some specialized units were disbanded completely, including the homeless outreach program, sexual assault, and burglary/cargo theft. The department also was unable to hire any new officers for vacant positions. Two-thirds of the savings from the cuts would ultimately be funneled into services for Black, Latino, and disenfranchised communities to provide hiring programs, summer youth jobs, and other services. Some protesters expressed concerns that the cuts didn’t go far enough, they wanted to see more money divested from police and invested back into the community. Black Lives Matter Los Angeles praised the step of rolling back police functions but stated disappointment due to the failure to include a “people’s budget”, which would redirect policing spending and emphasize housing and mental health services. Opponents of the budget cuts are concerned about the safety of their neighborhoods after the cuts, as well as understaffing within the LAPD.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin:

Devin Anderson, a lead activist for LiberateMKE, stated in July that the coalition would like to see a $75 million budget cut to the Milwaukee Police Department, with $50 million going to public health and $25 million to housing. In interviews with Milwaukee residents, LiberateMKE found participants were in favor of rerouting a portion of the police budget to community-based violence prevention programs. A group called African American Roundtable, which is backed by 65 organizations, also supported the $75 million budget cut. Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales says that defunding his department could mean longer response times, as he claims that they are already understaffed. Milwaukee mayor, Tom Barrett, presented the budget to the Common Council in September. The Madison Public Safety Review Committee, whose job is to determine budget priorities asked for feedback on the budget from the public. PSRC Budget Subcommittee Chairperson Matthew Mitnick publicly stated his discontent with the budget plan for not going far enough. Mayor Barrett addressed concerns by calling for a review of officer discipline, modernized training, and improved community relations. The budget passed with an 8-7 vote in early November of 2020, with opposition votes largely citing discontent with the police budget consuming about 24% of the total city budget. The council maintained 120 police cuts through attrition. Despite the cuts, the MPD budget is set to increase from $297.37 million in 2020 to $315.91 in 2021.

Nashville, Tennessee:

The Nashville People’s Budget Coalition and other activist organizations called on the Nashville Metro Council to defund the police. Roughly 200 people called in or spoke in person at the budget hearing, almost all were advocates of defunding the police. Organizers emphasized their desire to spend more on community services and education rather than policing. Some Nashville Council Members wanted to see police budget cuts as well. Council Member Freddie O'Connell proposed a $7 million budget cut for FY 21. However, O'Connell pointed out his opinion that lawmakers do not have the time to reimagine public safety due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Despite civilian calls to defund the Metro Nashville Police Department, the city approved all of the money they requested along with an additional 2.6 million to recruit new officers, equip all officers with body cameras, and purchase two new helicopters. Some community organizers say that this hearing was a good first step to put defunding the police in the minds of the council members. Metro police spokesperson Don Aaron stated that the MNPD has been previously understaffed and this additional funding will help the departments.

Brooklyn, New York:

Police from Brownsville’s 73rd precinct withdrew from their regular posts in early December for a 5 day stretch without cops. Mother Gaston Boulevard is known to be a longstanding ‘crime hotspot’ in a busy commercial corridor. Despite the heavy police presence throughout the years, crime, drugs, and violence have remained. The community also has the highest concentration of public housing. Policing tactics in Brownsville have raised concerns due to allegations of intense aggression towards civilians. A viral video surfaced of one cop throwing a young woman to the curb during this summer's protests, while a colleague watched. Brownsville police also faced controversy after killing Kwesi Ahun in 2019 at a nail salon. Ashun suffered from schizophrenia and most likely needed mental health support.

In the experiment, instead of the usual heavy policing on the boulevard, violence interrupter and crisis management groups watched over the two-block zone to prevent any incidents from escalating into violence or crime. The members within these groups were made up of individuals who had been previously involved with the criminal justice system. They called themselves the Brownsville Safety Alliance. During the five days, tents were set up along the strip by city agencies and nonprofits to offer information on education, job and housing information, and other services. One assembly member, Latrice Walker, who grew up in the neighborhood, stated: “This was ‘defund the police’ in actuality”. Elected officials were also optimistic about the pilot, saying that it marked a significant step towards reimagining public safety. Skeptics and opponents point out that the experiment was limited–covering only 50 daytime and evening hours, during a pandemic while realistically the police were only a few blocks away.

San Francisco, California:

San Francisco has begun the first steps necessary to defund the police, advocates say. Since the upheaval and protests during the summer months, the city has passed reforms to take money away from the police departments and invest it in community-based programs. The first phase of the San Francisco Street Crisis Response Team was launched in November 2020. The team consists of paramedics, behavioral health clinicians, and peer specialists to respond to certain non-violent 911 calls in the city, instead of cops. Each team also consists of individuals who have experienced and recovered from mental illness and addiction and have been trained to assist others. The Street Crisis Response Team will initially respond to calls Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the city’s Tenderloin neighborhood. In March of 2021, the program plans to expand to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, operating with six citywide teams. San Francisco’s Mayor, London Breed, supports the effort, hoping that it will redirect people from jails and hospitals to get the mental health support that they need.

San Francisco also proposed a non-police response to homelessness in January 2021. Under the new framework, police would not respond to calls about encampments, aggressive panhandling, trespassing, or other non-emergency calls regarding unhoused people. Calls would be rerouted to a civilian-led group called CART, the Compassionate Alternative Response Team. Similar to the Street Crisis Response Team, CART would be staffed with trained experts in mental health, addiction, and homelessness. The experts would be trained in de-escalation tactics and conflict resolution, as well as be equipped to provide referrals to mental health, addiction and housing services, and transportation to a hospital or service provider. The San Francisco Police Department agrees they should not be the responders to most calls about homelessness and mental health. However, the police union says that CART’s plan to completely sever ties with police involvement is too radical, and could endanger the public. Supporters say that CART will decrease police involvement with vulnerable populations and prevent any escalations to violence, and therefore increase the safety and wellbeing of the public, and specifically the unhoused population. San Francisco has tried non-police responses to homelessness in the past, but many agree that they have failed. Advocates for CART say that the previous framework, Homeless Outreach Team, failed to distance themselves from the police and created distrust in the communities they attempted to serve. Officials say that CART will generate $11 million in annual savings by diverting calls away from SFPD.

Austin, Texas:

In August of 2020, the Austin City Council unanimously voted to pass measures to revise the FY 21 budget to divert funding away from police and into the community. The budget cut was among the largest in 2020 and took $150 million (roughly one-third) from the Austin Police Department to reinvest in areas like violence prevention, food access, and abortion access programs. APD has faced harsh criticisms over the summer of 2020 due to the killing of an unarmed Black Hispanic man and violent tactics used against Black Lives Matter protesters. Council Member Greg Casar crafted the three-tiered plan and wanted to ensure that activists’ demands were adequately addressed. Roughly $20 million of the immediate budget cuts eliminated funding from three planned police cadet classes. Of the cuts, $80 million came from a year-long process to redistribute civilian functions–such as forensic sciences and victims services–away from APD to other parts of the city government. Lastly, $50 million went to Austin’s new “Reimagine Public Safety Fund. ” This would redirect duties such as traffic enforcement and response to mental health crises from the police. The fund has many initiatives within the larger objective of creating alternative forms of public safety and community support. Finally, the proposal eliminated vacant officer positions so that they began FY21 without any unfilled positions. Budget cuts went into effect in October of 2020. The response by Governor Greg Abbot was negative, and in a statement said, “Austin’s decision puts the brave men and women of the Austin Police Department and their families at greater risk, and paves the way for lawlessness. ” The Austin Police Department also opposed the measures, tweeting, “The council's budget proposals continue to become more ridiculous and unsafe for Austinites, They are going to ignore the majority who do not want the police defunded. ” Proponents of the budget cuts celebrated the victory as a step of progress. Some community organizers, including Grassroots Leadership and Communities of Color United, say that the cuts were not enough and did not meet the demands of the moment. They argue that defunding the police means reimagining public safety means a world where we don’t rely on any punitive measures for safety.