“Defund the Police” has become a catchy phrase for advocates of police reform. Former President Barack Obama, a proponent of change in the criminal justice system, warned against its use, believing it would backfire on its proponents. Senator Tim Scott, when recently asked about the issue, called it “ the dumbest thing I’ve heard of in my life.”
The phrase “defund the police” means different things to different folks. For some, it simply symbolizes the need to reform the criminal justice system and for others, “defund the police” means exactly what the phrase says – decrease the police budget.
Currently, many big cities that are experiencing significant increases in crime are, at the same time, decreasing the Police budget:
- New York PD budget was decreased by better than 6% at a time when homicides have increased by 27%, shooting incidents by 166%
- Minneapolis, the city where George Floyd was murdered, committed to defunding police but now is experiencing more than 20% increase in crime.
- Portland, Oregon has seen a 270.6% increase in homicides from July 2019 to July 2020, and have reduced their police budget
Another reality is that some departments are experiencing budget decreases due to the large number of demoralized officers leaving their departments and are unable to hire qualified applicants to replace them.
- New York lost 15% of its force in 2020, which is a 75% increase departures from the force
- Police Chief Adrian Diaz of Seattle announced a “staffing crisis” for 2021
- Louisville is in “dire straits” after 43 officers left in the first few months of the year, outnumbering new hires
This is the situation the country currently finds itself in: a large number of states are enacting police reform measures, Massachusetts included. The same legislatures that have historically given public safety unions carte blanche, have now passed significant reforms. Some of the measures will hopefully improve and make the system more effective, equitable and just.
Do we need to take a long hard look at our entire criminal justice system and in particular, what we ask of our officers? Absolutely, many of the duties police perform are a result of default, as there is no other institution available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Are the police the best option to deal with people suffering from mental health issues, drug addiction and homelessness? The police would be the first to tell you, no. The Boston Police Department hired licensed clinical social workers in each district station house more than 20 years ago.
But before we can effectively defund police services, we need to make sure that the institution designated to assume the responsibilities have the same availability that currently exists in the police force. Experience has taught us that the need for mental health services does not conveniently occur Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Officers who deal on a regular basis with homeless population will question whether those mental health services exist at all, especially for the populations most in need.
Many of us remember the late 80s and 90s when drugs and gangs created historically high homicide rates. We certainly do not want to relive those days. The one thing policing learned was you cannot be successful without the trust and cooperation of the community. The reality is this: crime is rapidly increasing, and the one thing that should be obvious in these challenging times is that the last thing we need is a smaller police force or a smaller budget.
The experience of most officers in this country is this: the communities hardest hit by violence are the ones clamoring for more officers, not less. The bottom line? When folks speak of cutting budgets and officers, Senator Scott could not have summed it up better.