Every country needs an entity to serve the law and protect the public, and that is exactly what the police in the U.S. are expected to do. However, events such as the May 2020 George Floyd killing have spurred the debate about police brutality and how much the government should allocate funds for the police.

People can interpret "defunding the police" in various ways, but the primary definition is to move funds away from police departments and into community resources. Many proponent groups have called for moving 50% of police funds to mental health experts, housing, and social workers.

Groups opposed to defunding the police state that 50% defunding is dangerous for communities, as crime won't stop. This includes impoverished communities that are most impacted by crime, as response times and overall resources won't be able to handle the workload. They claim that reform/improvements to policing can happen without defunding, including investing more in training and better qualified police candidates.

The question for debate: Should police forces in the United States be defunded by 50%?