POLICE DEFUNDMENT: IT'S NOT THE REALITY WE WANT IT TO BE

After recent acts of brutality committed by our own Police officers, society fears the police force and their use of weaponry in inappropriate situations. Many officers are inciting violence and misusing their right and power over citizens. Don’t get me mixed up, this is horrific and disgusting. However, we need an effective plan and defunding police is not that.

Rather than all Police officers suffering several budget cuts, a theoretical plan would be reallocating the money circulating in the department. The Police currently deal with calls out of their range in training and assistance. These calls are generally regarding mental illnesses, domestic disputes, barking dogs, and disturbing neighbors. Not to forget this is all done “on top of actual violations of the law ranging from minor shoplifting by kids to speeding to murder”. The department budget should reallocate the funds to train officers in necessary areas, rather than a complete loss of resources.

While defunding the police sounds ideal, regarding the technicalities it will have no benefit to them or our nation. Defunding the department will increase unintended consequences relating to violence. Figures released in November showed a 20% annual rise in gun, knife, and serious violent crime across England and Wales. The internal documents of the English government link this directly to Police Funding Cuts. In other words, defunding the police did the exact opposite of making people safer. It will decrease civilian and police encounters and crime, due to there being less civilian police encounters in general. However, it will be followed by unintended consequences. These consequences will lead to a direct increase in serious violent crime in America. This is shown clearly in the evidence above. According to themarshallproject.org, “During the 2008 recession, many police departments were forced to cut officers as federal funding decreased. In Memphis, use-of-force complaints almost doubled as officers in an understaffed department were required to work overtime.” Saving a few lives won’t be a reality when the plan of budget cuts in the department will lead to an exponential increase in violent crime.

Officers are going to be paid less, and they aren’t going to be happy about it. According to the Village of Hillsdale Police Department, “In Hillsdale, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, new officers earn $13.50 an hour after a probationary period.” Low wages force many officers to take extra jobs, leaving them tired and unprepared to deal with a high-stress police situation. Officers not being paid enough for the work and duties they fulfill in the country will not be incentivized in any light.

Defunding the police provides absolutely no solvency to the issues our nation is presented with. Society would face more violent crime and unprepared police officers; another outlet for dangerous activity. Now in regards to police brutality, officers should be fired and punished and reformed. But making budget cuts that call for unintended harm to a greater number of citizens, is not the way to go about it. Let’s face these matters, but in a more sophisticated manner that is effective and efficient.