California’s San Leandro was the first city to vote to #defund its police after the nationwide #BlackLivesMatter protests highlighting police brutality against black Americans. Los Angeles has already reduced the LAPD budget by $150 million, while San Francisco moved $120 million from police funding to spend on the welfare of its Black community.
The failure to reform and increasing reports of police brutality has resulted in widespread demand to defund the police, and California’s city administrations are right to heed the call. It’s time to defund police and offload its functions to other municipal or community services.
It was the killing of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, by a Minneapolis police officer sparked the demand to defund the police. This went viral nationwide, and people protested against police brutality.
However, activists didn’t see any solution to end systemic racism, killing, and the lack of accountability in law enforcement, which is too often reported. Activists, therefore, floated a new idea: “to defund the police.” Defunding the police led to growing calls for reduced police budget, fund diversions, and handing police functions to community groups to rein in police brutality.
As police have become more repressive and racially biased, minimizing their numbers and roles would stop their repression and save many lives. The funds saved from minimizing police numbers can fund other social service programs.
Unarmed social workers and behavioral specialists can replace police officers in certain situations. They can better serve and protect people who are fed up with police behavior. This may prevent the likelihood of police violence, and there will be a new model of community-led public safety.
The state police system originates from the California State Rangers, a state militia force created in 1853 to defend the “Gold Country” from outlaws, fugitive slaves, and migrant bandits. Captain Harry Love, who headed the Rangers and inhumanly killed desperado Joaquin Murrieta, was the first head of the state police.
The history and prejudices deeply entrenched in the force inhibit police functioning as safety servants. Police continue to treat non-whites as “less than” and use violence against them more often.
It is high time to rethink how the funds meant for police benefit the state residents. The state police are often cited for bias, atrocities, and lacking compassion and accountability. In 2016, California police action led to 157 deaths.
Los Angeles had to pay $91.5 million in compensation to settle police misconduct claims in the past 10 years. The city’s police expenses stand at $3 billion, while this year’s budget deficit may have ballooned to $409 million.
It does not make sense to put money toward a biased, brutal, and oppressive police force while struggling with financial woes. The money saved by defunding the police can help power the economy battered by the COVID-19 pandemic and fund housing, healthcare, education, and other pressing development works.
It is time for the people of California to get ready to press and support their local administrations to defund the police and allow them to live a life free from police brutality, racism, and lack of accountability.
