The issue of racial injustice is one that has been a problem for quite a long time, and the cycle will only persist unless conscious efforts are made to right the disheartening course we are currently on as a nation.

This critical issue has managed to move from the backburner to a matter of national focus in recent years. Discrimination and racism are nothing new, but it seems that they have hit an alltime high. George Floyd’s death was a wakeup call to many Americans, and it sparked public outcry across the nation. People began to see the need for something sustainable, permanent, and lasting to be done to combat any potential police brutality. 

One of the many solutions that has received public acclaim has been the concept of defunding the police and channeling those resources into more community-friendly and worthwhile endeavors.

In truth, the benefits of defunding the police cannot be contested. Many would argue that the police were only established to defend the pre-existing hierarchy and as such, no reform measures would actually be enough to change that corrupt system. The fact remains that the police are not doing all they should to keep everyone safe.

Portland was one of the first cities to slash its Police Department budget in June 2020 in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. Now, the time has come for the city to take its next step in the right direction. Cutting the police budget by $15 million in 2020 may have been a good start, but we need to go further in order to protect the best interests of the community.

As rational and practical as this plan is, it still faces obstruction. Individuals like Brian Hunzeker, former President of the Portland Police Association who has since been fired, believed that it would contribute to the increase in crime rates in the city. That isn’t necessarily true, if we reallocate the funds from the police department and apply them to building better community services.

Defunding the police remains the best way to enforce the level of accountability we want to see with their institution. If we can make our society as a whole greater and better while we do this, why aren’t we cutting their budget already?