What does ‘Defunding the Police’ mean?

It is important to note that, for many groups, “defunding the police” is not analogous to being “anti-police” or anarchy. On a recent episode of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza said the movement to "defund the police" is not about eliminating police departments, but about diversifying funds toward "the resources that our communities need."

The entire concept exists on a spectrum, with groups having a wide array of demands, ranging from modest reductions in a city’s policing budget to complete reallocation of funding. In Minnesota, a group called MPD150, is calling for the dismantling of the Minneapolis Police Department and requesting transfer of its functions to community-based agencies.

The increase in the call for defunding comes from a history of repeated violence against the Black community and systematic problems of racial disparities and implicit biases. In fact, according to the American Psychological Association, “the probability of being black, unarmed and shot by police is about 3.5 times the probability of being white, unarmed and shot by police.”

While opponents of defunding the police often point to the fact that Black Americans are more likely to commit crimes, the research seems to suggest otherwise. In a study from 2016, data suggested that Black residents were more likely to be subject to police force than their white counterparts. In data from Oakland, California, it was found that Black residents make up 28% of the Oakland population, but 60% of traffic stops, as well as four times more likely to be searched during the stop. The findings also conclude that less-experienced officers show more racial disparities and suggest that more training may be necessary.

Many in the Black community are hesitant to the call the police, for their own safety. In her book, So You Want to Talk About Race?, author Ijeoma Oluo discusses tweeting about being pulled over by a police officer to notify friends and family of the encounter in case “something happened.”

Where would the money go?

By reducing the overall law enforcement budget, advocates say this would allow money to be reinvested into local community programs and social services, such as mental health counselors, public health resources, and emergency services.

"So much of policing right now is generated and directed towards quality-of-life issues, homelessness, drug addiction, domestic violence," Garza said. "What we do need is increase funding for housing, we need increased funding for education, we need increased funding for quality of life of communities who are over-policed and over-surveilled."

For example: A look into the Austin city budget for addressing homelessness, for the fiscal year 2019-20, $64.4 million was allocated to respond to the City’s homeless population. Of that $64.4 million budget, only $24.9 million goes towards those currently experiencing homelessness, and only $1.2 million is to address mental health and substance use disorder treatment and recovery. Consider this: a 2015 study suggests that 45% of the homeless population has a mental illness, with 25% of the American homeless population listed as having serious mental illness. Mental illness is listed as the third largest cause of homelessness for single adults. According to the Statesman, Austin Police are responding to an increasing number of mental health cases each year and without special training, may not adequately equipped to handle the situation.

With rising poverty and unemployment rates soaring due to COVID-19, many cities are making drastic cuts to city budgets and existing programs. Proponents of defunding argue that moving funds from local police departments would help to mitigate the economic crisis and give people access to food, clothes, health care, and employment services.

Image from Statista

How much does The US spend on policing?

To put this into perspective, the U.S. spends more than $100 billion on policing per year, with budgets almost tripling since 1977.

According to the Center for Popular Democracy, the police department budgets of many major cities make up a disproportionate amount of budgetary spending. In Chicago and Houston, the police budget accounts for 39.6% and 35%, respectively. At $434 million, the Austin Police account for 40% of the city’s Safety budget.

The State & Local Perspective

In New York City, both activists and officials have been outspoken about cutting the New York Police Department’s $6 billion budget, amidst “economic devastation not seen since the Great Depression.”

In Los Angeles, California, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced he would redirect $250 million dollars to youth jobs, health initiatives, and “peace centers,” $150 million of which coming from the policing budget after Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles demanded change with their “People’s Budget” campaign. This announcement comes as a quick reversal from the original city budget which included increasing the Los Angeles Police Department budget by 7% just days before.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday June 7, a majority of the Minneapolis City Council agreed to dismantle the city’s police department. In a tweet on June 4, Jeremiah Ellison promised that the Council would “dramatically rethink how we approach public safety and emergency response.”

In Washington D.C, a Black Lives Matter mural spans the length of two city blocks leading towards the White House. On Saturday, protesters painted “Defund the Police” next to the street mural.

In Austin, Texas, after more than a week of protests, many members of the City Council have voiced their disappointment in Police Chief Brian Manley, with Greg Casar, calling for his resignation.

Would this cause crime Rates to go up?

The answer is unclear. Since the inception of policing, there has been no wide spreading defunding and research has been mixed.

One large study from New York City suggests that less policing may lead to less crime. Published in 2017, this report focused on policing in NYC in 2014-2015, enacting a rollback on “proactive policing,” the enforcement of lower violations and heightened police presence. While the arrest rate for major crimes, such as murder or robbery, remained the same, the arrest rate for drug and lesser crimes dropped. It was also reported that civilian complaints of major crimes decreased by approximately 3-6% during this time.

An interesting example of how experts suggest that reworking the police departments could work is the city of Camden, New Jersey. In 2012, Camden was considered one of the deadliest cities in the United States. The following year, the city disbanded and replaced its police department with more officers, with a focus on violence deescalation and rebuilding the city’s trust. In 2018, the city recorded its lowest number of homicides since 1987. However, many argue that while encouraging, the numbers from Camden may not paint the entire picture, as the city also made large investments into the local economy and community projects, thereby skewing the overall policing data.

Other studies have suggested that only an increase in police presence leads to a decrease in street crimes. Most agree, however, that more research needs to be done.