Defunding The Police

As protests over police brutality and legal accountability have swept the nation and the world, some activists have floated the idea of defunding the police. So far, no one has been clear on what this means. Are they proposing to cut police budgets altogether? Such a drastic move would seem highly irresponsible. The police perform a vital function in a functioning society. 

Can you imagine spending time in an American city without a police force? Who would maintain order in such a scenario, i.e. who would ensure that stores are not looted and property is not being burned for amusement? Should the critical function of keeping the peace be left to untrained vigilantes or unaccountable, unidentified gangs of neighborhood thugs? Disorder and massive suffering would be inescapable; it would be an economic and humanitarian disaster.

That said, the United States has too many police officers. Yes, I said it, because it’s true. I you have traveled abroad, you know what I’m talking about. 

In Europe, you’ll see plenty of police officers, but they tend to be where they need to be, e.g. directing traffic or protecting important important buildings. When you drive in Europe, especially on the highways or on country roads, you rarely see a police officer unless they are tending to an accident. In the US, traffic cops lurk around every corner like spiders ready to feast upon your checkbook. 

Policing in the United States has become predatory and excessively revenue driven. Police offices see it as their duty to interrupt any person at any time, forcing citizens to explain themselves or pay a fee that towns and cities eagerly deposit into their coffers. It’s oppressive and largely unnecessary. Well-placed traffic cameras would be enough to ensure that people are driving the speed limit and obeying traffic signals. We can survive without an army of ticket-writers monitoring all of our movements in hopes of a roadside or curbside shakedown.

That said, as to defunding the police, I am against this idea on principle. It is an ill-conceived overreaction to a series of problems that cannot be solved simply by ripping up the budget. It would be like defunding hospitals just because they lost a number of patients to COVID-19. Cutting the budget is a knee-jerk reaction not going to serve the public health or the public safety. 

That said, police forces in the US should be streamlined and reorganized. There’s an enormous economic cost to having an independent police force in Every Town, USA. It’s virtually impossible to standardize procedures and coordinate training across such a vast array of jurisdictions. With more comprehensive training and clearer procedures, policing effectiveness can be increased, and some of the issues that resulted in the protests can be addressed in a positive way. 

Further, predatory revenue generation by ticketing is a practice that needs to be abolished. Police in the US have been encouraged to instigate unnecessary interactions with the public in search of a windfall. This has led to over-policing and an unnecessarily combative relationship helps neither the police or the community. It helps only the bean counters at City Hall.