Due to current events in our country, debates over whether to defund the police have been a hot-button issue. It is a topic you can see discussed fiercely on most news networks. Arguments on the subject are also becoming more prominent with midterm elections approaching. On one side, we have those who believe defunding the police will result in complete havoc. On the other hand, people think the police have become too militarized. I identify with the latter in this situation.   

In 2019 alone, the United States spent over 123 billion dollars (about $380 per person in the US) on police forces. Tax-payer money is not only used to pay the pensions and salaries of law enforcement officials but also for million-dollar vehicles commonly seen during protests. I do not believe anyone thinks defunding the police means decreasing officer pay, either retired or actively serving. Instead, it means reducing unnecessary spending on materials and other operations deemed excessive. Our elected officials could use the money they save to initiate funding for programs to assist the public. At the end of the day, both sides want what is best for society.   

Defunding the police does not mean abolishing the force altogether. The tax dollars saved would be reallocated through other avenues that do not require law enforcement involvement. For instance, studies have shown that only 10 percent of calls for service or CFS are for presently occurring violent crimes. If the public had other emergency services to contact in these instances, things would move more fluently. For example, in 2016, a North Miami police officer shot an unharmed caretaker who was with one of his autistic patients. The autistic man was carrying a toy that was mistaken as a gun and responded accordingly. In a video recorded by a third party, the caretaker is lying on the ground with his hands up. When the man who was injured asked the officer why he shot him, he allegedly replied, “I don’t know”. The blame for the shooting does not only rest on the shoulders of the responding officer. The entire situation shed light on a system that desperately requires some revisioning. The officer did not have the training needed to deal with the mentally ill. There should be a public department on standby that can handle these sensitive issues without violence.  

The United States is currently in the middle of another drug epidemic. The opioid crisis has glaring similarities to the crack cocaine explosion of the 1980s and the 1990s. The government mishandled the situation then, and they are dropping the ball now. Instead of officers just arresting addicts and throwing them in jail, our focus should be on the root of the problem. Addicts who are not given proper rehabilitation behind bars often end up using drugs again when they are released. This vicious cycle takes a toll on everyone involved and can only be stopped if we approach it differently. With the money saved by defunding the police, we could establish higher-quality rehabilitation centers. This will reduce the number of drug addicts and drug-related crimes in theory. 

In closing, defunding the police is not something that can happen overnight. It will take some serious planning by the top minds of our government, but I feel the funds are needed to benefit society. There may be a slight increase in violence for a brief period, but studies show that increasing the funding for the police does not relate to a decrease in crime. Therefore, the public should look for their tax dollars to be spent more efficiently. 

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References 

Asher, J. (2016, March 15). There’s great crime data for nearly every city in the U.S.. why is nobody using it? Slate Magazine. Retrieved April 11, 2022, from https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2016/03/calls-for-service-data-are-the-best-way-to-analyze-crime-why-dont-cities-make-them-available.html  

Criminal Justice Expenditures: Police, corrections, and courts. Urban Institute. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2022, from https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/state-and-local-finance-initiative/state-and-local-backgrounders/criminal-justice-police-corrections-courts-expenditures  

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Pro and con: Defunding the police. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved April 11, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/story/pro-and-con-should-police-departments-be-defunded-if-not-abolished#:~:text=Defunding%20them%20could%20reduce%20violence,allows%20experts%20to%20step%20in.  

Henderson, H., & Yisrael, B. (2022, March 9). 7 myths about “defunding the police” debunked. Brookings. Retrieved April 11, 2022, from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/how-we-rise/2021/05/19/7-myths-about-defunding-the-police-debunked/  

Ortiz, E. (2016, July 21). Cops shoot unarmed caregiver with his hands up while he helps man. NBCNews.com. Retrieved April 11, 2022, from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/cops-shoot-unarmed-caregiver-charles-kinsey-his-hands-while-he-n614106  

Ray, R. (2022, March 9). What does ‘defund the police’ mean and does it have merit? Brookings. Retrieved April 11, 2022, from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/06/19/what-does-defund-the-police-mean-and-does-it-have-merit/