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Kacey Frederick '24
When people suggest the defunding of police, they claim it will prevent the horrific actions that we have seen on the news of police violence during traffic stops and arrests. If anything, defunding the police will only increase these interactions because a lack of funding comes with a lack of training. Not only should we keep funding the police, but we should also increase their funding. Investing in our country's law enforcement will offer training that will give officers the tools to respond to high stakes situations, instead of relying on irrational quick thinking based on instincts. De-escalation tactics, domestic violence response training, and body camera funding to increase camera storage are just a few examples of where funding would go in the recent Invest to Protect bill, a bipartisan bill pushing for police funding. We can increase field training and educate our officers on racial bias, various mental illnesses, equipping them to go out into their community with a deeper understanding of their own biases. There’s a reason why Republicans and Democrats alike, including our president, support funding our police. Simply, we need the police to keep our communities safe. Defunding the police would decrease retention rates and the number of police out in our communities, therefore increasing crime and danger on the street. I can support the argument of funding community outreach, but not at the cost of police funds. Do you plan on seeking help from a social worker when someone breaks into your house or commits acts of violence against you? Police are crucial to maintaining law and order in society. A delayed 911 response, increase in serious crime, decrease in criminal accountability and public safety are all factors at risk if we defund our police. While wealthy people can rely on private security or the inherent safety of their neighborhoods, less fortunate communities rely on police to keep their neighborhoods safe. We need police funding to increase the amount of police on the streets, therefore decreasing the amount of crime, and in the end actually saving money. America employs 30% less police officers per capita than the world average, while our country also has the largest incarcerated population in the world. This data suggests that America has a higher crime rate, leading to mass incarceration, because we have less police officers out in communities discouraging crime. The Journal of Law and Economics published an article analyzing crime data in Washington DC. The data showed that “an increase in police presence … leads to a statistically and economically significant decrease in the level of crime.” The data is here. It shows the necessity and benefit of having cops, and the need for more. The somewhat small financial burden that may arise from increased funding would all be returned by the diminishing taxes towards prisons, as shown by more cops leading to less crime and incarceration. Defunding the police would only increase crime, danger in marginalized neighborhoods, improper handling of routine arrests, and mass incarceration. Not only is it necessary to keep funding the police, but we also need to invest more. To better equip our officers and add more cops to our communities, increased funding is necessary. Sources: https://nationalpolicesupportfund.com/3-reasons-why-defunding-the-police-is-a-bad-idea/ https://homelandprepnews.com/stories/75654-house-invest-to-protect-act-urges-50m-investment-into-smaller-police-departments/ https://gottheimer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3115 https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/09/the-question-of-defunding-police/671352/ https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/the-movement-to-defund-the-police-is-wrong-and-heres-why/ https://www.johnlocke.org/research-identifies-benefits-of-spending-more-on-police-not-defunding-it/ Image: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/22/us/politics/house-passes-police-funding-bills.html
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