What Does Defunding
the Police Mean? At protests across the nation,
“defund the police” is a popular phrase
being utilized on signs or in chants. Here’s a breakdown of what
defunding would entail, and why
people are for or against it. Defunding the police is an alternative
to the many unsuccessful attempts
to implement police reform. It proposes that a portion of police budgets
should be reallocated to other social and economic
services such as health care and education. In most states, police budgets far exceed
the budgets of other local and state departments
that are more in need of funding. Some critics say drawbacks include a
potential increase in private police forces and
loss of jobs for officers and staff.