Saturday, April 27#blacklivesmatter

‘Defund the Police’ Is Not a Radical Statement

The Bougie Aunt | Published 10:00 a.m. E.T. June 29, 2020

5 minute read

Among the topics which have emerged from the recent attention upon the Black Lives Matter Movement (BLMM), is the roaring call to ‘defund the police’. As expected with reformist declarations, the slogan was met with mixed opinions. On the offensive for the statement were people seeking ammunition to gun down the recent social upheaval, like President Trump, who has purposely misconstrued the slogan to present it as the antithesis to law and order. While the defense has had to repeatedly explain, ‘defund[ing] the police’ is simply asking for funds to be redirected into other sectors that are lacking in endowments, such as education, healthcare, and mental health services. The defense’s contention is reasonable because the BLMM has demonstrated the large funding some police departments receive are not dedicated to training the officers. Rather, they are employed to pay off politicians, so the politicians will turn a blind eye to their corruption. Like, how the Long Beach Police Officers Association (LBPOA) has already donated their maximum of $7,800.00 to help fund Robert Garcia’s campaign for lieutenant governor in 2026. And, the offensive’s claim does have some backing to it because the shock value of ‘defund the police’ can lead to some people imagining a more extreme situation than what the reality of the phrase means. But it becomes clear why activists are urging for money to be redirected into other avenues when one examines the history of America’s police. 

POLICE’S RACIST ORIGINS

Early actions of certain groups that predated an established police force or coexisted with them mirror the discriminatory and racist practices seen through the unjust murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many other minorities. For one, the South’s policing history stems from slave patrols where white patrollers took the liberty upon themselves to abuse Black slaves, so Black slaves would not even think of organizing slave revolts. As, white southerners wanted to maintain the status quo where they were situated at the top. This of course does not excuse the North because they too participated in racist police activity; St. Louis’s police were established to ‘defend’ residents from Native Americans within St. Louis. And arguably, the most notable, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), who is still legally not deemed a terrorist organization, but their massive impact on the growth of white supremacy is apparent, if not surging, today.

Investigating the police’s racist origins offers an explanation why some police departments racist tendencies have not been nipped in the bud, but Supreme Court cases like DeShaney vs. Winnebago and Town of Castle Rock vs. Gonzales emphasize why ‘defund the police’ is a logical slogan.

IT IS NOT UNCONSTITUTIONAL FOR POLICE NOT TO PROTECT YOU

Within the aforementioned cases, the Supreme Court has ruled that it is not unconstitutional for police to not intervene in a situation where police aid would help alleviate or end a conflict. So, what is the point of most police departments possessing such a flawed motto (it is either “to protect and serve” or along the lines of it)? Oh right, propaganda.

We have been conditioned to view police as our saving heroes in times of crises, but their recent activities and how they are supported by the Supreme Court to essentially do nothing, do not validate the excessive funding some police departments receive.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), who actually coined the “to protect and serve” motto, is the highest funded sector in L.A.’s budget. For the 2020-2021 year, the LAPD will be receiving $3.14 billion from the $10.5 billion budget. Even more so, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti wants to raise the LAPD budget by an additional seven percent. Which, after review of the current status of police, why do they need all of that money? They are not legally required to protect citizens. So, what are we paying them for?

WHERE MONEY CAN BE REDIRECTED TO

‘Defund the police’ is not a radical statement; it forces people to take accountability of organizations we are supporting, and if they are worth our taxpayer money. As proven by this article, most of the money reserved for police departments is not worth it. What is worth it are education, healthcare, and mental health services, just to name a few.

The COVID-19 pandemic helped expose the underfunding healthcare receives when photos surfaced of nurses having to resort to wearing garbage bags because of no protective gear being readily available. Teacher strikes happening yearly due to schools not being able to provide students with the necessary supplies support their claim that they are also underfunded. Furthermore, mental health budgets are often slashed without second thought. However, the slashing does more harm than good. From 2005-2010, thirteen states closed twenty-five percent or more of their total psychiatric beds, and states that shut down public psychiatric within that same timeframe saw an increase in crime. Ironic isn’t it? 

Moreover, equipping other sectors like education, healthcare, and mental health services with more money rather than police departments will be beneficial. Teachers should not have to be paying out-of-pocket so their students can have essential supplies, healthcare workers should not resort to using unsafe methods to protect themselves in their field of work, and mental health services should be encouraged, as they provide an outlet for those who are struggling.

Where do you think city budgets should be redirected to, if at all? Let me know what you think in the comments or through my Instagram page, or both!

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