Will defunding the police in America make us all feel safer? This is a difficult question and discussion, depending on who you are and what was observed growing up in your neighbourhood. The first U.S. city police department was a slave patrol, and modern police forces have directed oppression and violence at Black people to enforce Jim Crow laws, wage the fake War on Drugs, and crack down on protests in certain communities. When people ask for police reform, many are asking for this oppressive system to be dismantled and reimagined to invest in institutions, resources, and services that can help communities grow and thrive without fear for their lives and violence.
Defunding the police is a term that can mean different things depending on who uses it, but at its core, it refers to allocating or redirecting funding away from police departments and toward other community resources and services. It doesn't necessarily mean abolishing the police entirely, though many activists advocate for abolition as a long-term goal. It's just not that easy to find a solution without everyone being on board. Many will agree that it's time to cut the astronomical amount of money that our governments spend on law enforcement and give that money to more helpful services like job training, counselling, and violence prevention programs. Each year, state and local governments spend upward of 100 billion dollars on law enforcement, and that's excluding billions more in federal grants and resources. Many believe that addressing the root causes of crime—like poverty, lack of education, and inadequate mental health care—can reduce the need for policing.
Growing up in a community where police presence was a source of tension, anger, and a fear of extreme physical abuse, I’ve often wondered: Is there a better way to keep people safe? The call to defund police departments has brought this question to the forefront, and it’s one that demands our attention now more than ever.
Here are a few ideas behind the concept of defunding the police departments:
Demilitarisation of Police:
Redirecting money spent on military-grade equipment for police (like armoured vehicles and tactical gear) to community-based programs.
Reforming Policing Practices:
Investing in alternatives to traditional policing such as:
Crisis response teams for mental health emergencies to avoid mass murders of innocent citizens.
Violence interruption programs.
Community-led safety initiatives.
Addressing Systemic Issues:
Reducing reliance on punitive approaches to crime by building systems that prevent crime in the first place.
Prioritising community care over incarceration. Throughout my entire life, I have heard the term school to prison. The School-to-Prison pipeline is the idea that punishment in school leads to jail. This happens much more often to students of colour than white students. The school-to-prison pipeline exists because of systemic racism.
Supporters argue that many police departments have budgets that far exceed funding for other essential public services. They believe that police are often tasked with responding to issues, such as homelessness, mental health crises, drug use, or addiction, which they may not be trained to handle effectively. It's often voiced that reducing police funding and investing in social services may create safer, healthier communities.
On the flip side, critics argue that reducing police budgets may lead to understaffing, slower response times, or less effective policing. However, when growing up in a low-income community of colour, we are familiar with the wait time for police to arrive at a crime scene or for an ambulance to arrive, if at all, during an emergency. In some cities, funds have been reallocated to social services with varying degrees of success. For example, programs like the Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets (CAHOOTS) in Eugene, Oregon, dispatch mental health professionals instead of police for certain emergencies that often save lives.
So, how do Black communities feel about this issue? The perspectives of communities, especially communities of colour, on defunding police departments vary widely and are influenced by historical, cultural, and local experiences with law enforcement. While some strongly support the idea, others express concerns about its implications. The primary reason for supporting defunding the police comes from the historical mistrust of all police. Many Black and Brown communities continue to experience racism and racial profiling, over-policing, police brutality, and murders without being held accountable. Many see defunding to address these injustices that have existed for centuries in America. Many communities argue that police often fail to address the root causes of crime. They strongly believe that allocating funds to education, housing, mental health care, and youth programs can be viewed as a more effective way to improve safety and well-being. Programs like mental health crisis teams, violence interruption initiatives, and restorative justice practices resonate with those who feel traditional policing disproportionately harms their communities. Activists and organisations like Black Lives Matter emphasise that defunding is about reimagining public safety, not leaving communities unprotected.
Some surveys have shown that while communities of colour support police reform, many also desire adequate police protection and accountability rather than drastic budget cuts. For example, a 2020 Gallup poll found that most Black Americans wanted police to spend as much or more time in their neighbourhoods but with better training and less aggressive practices. Many communities favour reforming the police rather than defunding entirely. They suggested mandating de-escalation and bias training, increasing accountability and oversight, such as body cameras and civilian review boards, and focusing on community policing models to build trust between officers and residents. Frankly, I don't believe that trust between the police and communities of colour will ever happen in my lifetime.
A very long time ago, in 2008, I worked with a colleague on a contract granted by the City & County of San Francisco on the Police Department Organizational Assessment Project. During that time, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) wanted to be a leader in progressive and effective policing. They recognised the need for a periodic independent review of its vision, organisational structure, procedures, and outcomes to help move toward improved public safety in the city. They wanted to strengthen its systems, organisation, and practices to address current and future public safety needs. They engaged with the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) based in Washington, DC, to help with the process. Upon meeting the representatives from PERF, I knew it would be a disaster because of the look of racism on their faces when they were introduced to our marketing team consisting of professionals of colour. We chose to ignore our gut feelings and started the project with excitement. We conducted many focus group meetings to provide residents with an opportunity to provide input in the process. As a team, we felt that it was essential for community members to be heard in the process. We developed a bond of trust and a safe place for people to share their ideas.
To gather feedback from the communities, we developed a series of core questions that included:
What are your expectations of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD)?
Are those expectations being met?
What do you think are the strengths of the SFPD?
What are the weaknesses of the SFPD? What is that based on?
What crimes are you most concerned about?
What would the ideal SFPD be like?
What are the characteristics of the ideal SF Police Officer?
What would be the best number of police officers in your neighbourhood?
What should be their priority?
As a resident and community member, do you want to be involved in policing in San Francisco? If you want to be involved, can you give an example of how?
Do you have an interest in the outcome of this study? If so, how do you want to be informed?
We were thorough in our recruitment of participants including the following communities:
African Americans
Latinx
Asian/Pacific Islanders
Caucasians
LGBTQI+ members
Our team was excited with the results from all the San Francisco Bay Area communities. We submitted our findings to the SFPD, who were open to learning more about all the communities. However, PERF, the Police Executive Research Forum, was not happy with the results of the study and questioned us on why all communities had similar opinions, ideas, and recommendations for improving relationships. PERF felt that we simply made up the feedback. It stands out in my mind, even today when they said that African Americans, Latinx, Asian Pacific Islanders, and LGBTQI+ members would not have the same comments and recommendations. It took a lot of our energy to remain calm and professional. They wrote us a check for our work and never used the information to improve the situation.
Whether you believe in Karma or not, sometimes it happens. Several years later a colleague recruited me to take a job in Washington, DC with the Obama Administration. Today, I am grateful for the experience of learning new things about government. During those years I was assigned to assess an organisation working with the police, PERF. There was no surprise that the person representing them in San Francisco had no idea who I was and that we had even met. It put a smile on my face, and I started to reassess why police can get away with so many crimes. It was not easy for PERF to ignore my many questions, demanding a reasonable response and a strategic plan to make changes for priority communities.
Defunding the police is not about abandoning public safety—it’s about reimagining it. It’s a call to address the root causes of crime, and to invest in education, housing, and mental health resources that strengthen communities rather than relying solely on policing as a solution. The conversation is complex and deeply personal, especially for communities disproportionately affected by both crime and over-policing. As we navigate this crucial dialogue, the question isn’t just whether we should defund the police, but how we can build a system that prioritizes equity, compassion, and true safety for all. The answers won’t come easily, but the pursuit of justice demands that we ask them.
Will the murdering of Black people by the police ever stop? Everyday in the news, there is another incident of someone pleading for their life while police officers pull the trigger to end their lives. Check out the latest story on the Indianapolis Police that were acquitted after murdering Herman Whitfield, III.
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