After the killing of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police, there have been protests all over the world. One of the themes coming out of these decentralized protests, is a call to action to defund the police and/or abolish the police.
For many, the words “abolish the police” is jarring as they might tie that to the demands of anarchists and it seems like a very extreme perspective, I can understand that.
For those who believe defunding the police and/or abolishing the police is an extreme view, this post is written to connect with you, please keep an open mind and continue to read. I will not give you the answers to these questions below , but I ask you to do the work and look up the answers, as I believe they are informative. My purpose isn’t to change your mind but to have your explore these questions with an open mind.
I used to believe that defunding the police or abolishing the police was an extreme view but I have slowly changed my mind. When I was younger, I was in favor the California “Three Strikes You Are Out” bill. I also voted for laws the provided more funding for the police and laws that provided funding for new prisons. It has taken years for me to get to my current perspective, it was through conversations, listening and visiting a prison, that enabled a change of view.
Here are some questions that are worth exploring, the answers are available via online research and provide insights on my position.
Who created the police?
When was the police created?
What is the purpose of the police?
What the is breakdown of the race of the people that are being arrested?
What are the offenses of the people who were arrested?
What is the breakdown of the races that are in jail?
What are the offenses of those that are in jail?
How many rape kits have not been tested by the police?
How much money is spent every year on the police?
What training do the police receive and are they trained to handle mental health causes, domestic disputes, those that are acting suicidal, deescalation tactics?
How many hours of training is needed to be a police officer? and how does that compare to other industries where people are licensed? (barbers, beauticians, architects, electricians, etc.)
Has crime gone down/up in this country? What is the trajectory?
Who monitors the police? Why do you think it is set up that way?
Have police been reprimanded for breaking any laws? If so, to what extent?
Please visit this Twitter thread as well. Thank you for reaching this far.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsPeople in tech. You can reimagine every business but you can’t reimagine law enforcement? Think about why you have that mindset. Push yourself. Talk to people and see what the possibilities are.
— Shai Goldman (@shaig) June 7, 2020
Shai's Blog 