Understand your local law enforcement.
Happy Monday and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily! Right now, Democrats are debating how the phrase "defund the police" played out at the polls this month. Today, we're revisiting what defund the police means and how you can take action. Unlike before when we centered takeaways around the national discourse, today we're encouraging you to unpack how it affects your community locally.
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TAKE ACTION
Learn the talking points on defunding the police offered by the Movement for Black Lives to host conversations in your community.
Attend your next city council meeting to learn how they invest in local law enforcement (many are hosting virtually). You may also find transcripts or archives of previous meetings online.
Use this toolkit created by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights to effectively advocate for divestment.
Tell your Congressperson to support the BREATHE Act, which advocates for divestment in order to reimagine public safety.
GET EDUCATED
By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)
As we mentioned back in June, the term “defund the police” became a critical part of this election season. Moderate Democrats argue that it discouraged people from supporting candidates (Time). Progressive Democrats disagree, noting that efforts to change policing were passed in several states (Vox). While reading these conversations, remember that this work needs to persevere far beyond the phrase’s sentiment. Here’s an updated FAQ on the work at hand.
What does “defund the police” even mean?
The rally to defund the police is a call-to-action for communities to change the law enforcement by re-allocating funding spent on police departments to other necessary infrastructure, including violence prevention programs, public housing, health care, mental health care, and education. These efforts challenge longstanding notions that directly correlate police to safety, one that has been proven ineffective for protecting non-white people, particularly Black and queer people in the U.S. (Neighborhood Funders Group).
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It’s not just about taking away money from the police, it’s about reinvesting those dollars into Black communities. Communities that have been deeply divested from, communities that, some have never felt the impact of having true resources. And so we have to reconsider what we’re resourcing. I've been saying we have an economy of punishment over an economy of care.
― Patrisse Cullors in a conversation on WBUR Here & Now
This terminology was created by abolitionist doing the work. It was not created to be a rallying cry for any political party during an election. The current debate about whether the term was “friendly” enough misses a key point – that the Democratic party was not prepared to take a solid stance on this issue; powerful community organizers have carried this conversation into the spotlight.
What does “abolish the police” mean?
This is a more long-term and radical call for not just divesting from law enforcement but completing re-imagining the entire criminal justice system. For some, defunding the police is a start to transforming the system as a whole (NYTimes).
What is the difference between abolition and reform?
Generally, “reformists” believe that the current system can be changed if there’s more effort in changing it. When it comes to police reform vs. abolition, reformists often argue for more investment into law enforcement to create further accountability, like training, body cameras, etc. You can view a chart of the key differences between the two stances here (Critical Resistance).
Does defunding the police mean getting rid of police officers entirely?
No. Defunding the police means "shrinking the scope of police responsibilities and shifting most of what government does to keep us safe to entities that are better equipped to meet that need,” says Christy E. Lopez, a Georgetown Law professor and co-director of the school’s Innovative Policing Program (Washington Post).
MPD150, a Minneapolis-based initiative by organizers aiming to bring "meaningful structural change" to police in the city, focuses on who responds when someone calls 911. Instead of sending a police officer, they're advocating that we could send social workers, mental health care providers, and victim/survivor advocates, among others.
By doing so, we can decrease the burden placed on police officers, who are currently tasked to respond to a wide range of requests from their community (USA Today).
But not all police are bad! Why change everything over bad apples?
Yes, not every police officer is racist. Not all police officers kill Black people. But this is not the argument. This isn't a conversation about bad apples, but a poisoned orchard. Remember that the police system has systemically hurt Black communities throughout time because it's built on a system of racism and white supremacy. Consider:
1 in every 1,000 black men can expect to be killed by police (PNAS)
The Minneapolis police use force against Black people at 7x the rate of white people (NYTimes)
Policing in southern slave-holding states had roots in slave patrols – groups of white volunteers empowered to use vigilante tactics to enforce laws related to slavery (The Conversation)
The "bad apples" argument is an incredibly harmful refrain. It doesn’t just prevent conversations from moving forward. It protects white supremacy and systemic oppression and completely discredits the pain, suffering, and grief these "bad apples" have caused to individual families and entire communities impacted by their actions.
But won't there be more crime if there's less law enforcement?
Unlikely. Many citizens are concerned that a decrease in law enforcement will increase crime. But by investing in other systems of support, advocates of defunding the police find this unlikely. Also, studies have shown that more police doesn't equal less crime (USA Today). Some police chiefs, including Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham in DC, have warned that decreasing police budgets can create inadequate training resources, which can increase bad policing (read more at DCist). But by re-investing appropriately, this isn’t likely.
How can I help?
The most critical way to move this work forward is to see beyond public perception. Get to know the local community organizers that are pushing for this work in your community. Review conversations your city council has had on this topic. And move past how people feel about “defund the police” generally to how it impacts your community specifically: your local schools, sidewalks, and city centers. It may mean analyzing how your privilege defines your relationship with law enforcement and how your experience differs from those around you. This work is not easeful or comfortable but necessary for creating a more equitable future.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Defunding the police allows communities to re-invest in other forms of community support
The police system is inherently inequitable, and deeply rooted in racism and white supremacy
It's important to take this work into your local community, while supporting the community organizers fighting for change
RELATED ISSUES
10/14/2020 | Fight racist death row sentencing.
9/3/2020 | Support mental health response services.
8/24/2020 | Demand justice for Jacob Blake.
7/15/2020 | End racial bias in school discipline.
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