Too much policing: Why calls are made to defund the police

Authors: Jennifer E. Cobbina-Dungy, School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University, USA; Delores Jones-Brown, Department of Sociology and Criminology, Howard University, USA.
Abstract: The repeated use of fatal force against unarmed people of color has led to global protests against police violence and criticisms of policing as a public safety mechanism. In the US, there are calls to abolish, transform, or reform policing, focusing on eliminating structural racism.
Thesis: There is a two-tier policing problem: 1) policing used to enforce racial dominance through “proactive” practices, and 2) “warrior-style” police training which normalizes excessive force and compliance.
Support is expressed for reallocating police budgets towards community structures that enhance people's survival instead of serving as punitive mechanisms.

Contemporary Issues: The deaths of Andrew Brown, Ma'Kia Bryant, Daunte Wright, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rashard Brooks, etc. have sparked protests questioning the role of police in society.
Links to historical unrest (1960s) and issues of race, justice, and policing have been brought to the forefront with demands for reform or abolition.
Emphasis on structural racism in policing and its role in the carceral state.

Risk for People of Color: People of Color (POC), especially Black individuals, face a higher risk of police-related harm. - 1 in 1000 Black men can expect to be killed by police, making police fatal force a leading cause of death for young Black men, surpassing cancer rates (Edwards et al., 2019).
Statistics on Unarmed Fatalities: 60% of Black women killed by police from May 2013 to January 2015 were unarmed (Everding, 2018).
Comparison to Other Countries: In 2019, the US experienced 33.5 police killings per 10 million residents compared to 9.8 in Canada, 8.5 in Australia, and 0.5 in England and Wales (Statista, 2021).
Warrior-Style Policing: Training emphasizes a hostile world, promoting force usage even in non-threatening encounters, treating citizens like combatants. - The existence of a "do not resist, comply or die" attitude within police ranks has been evident, illustrating systemic issues in policing.

Case Examples: - 73-year-old White female with dementia pushed down and dislocated shoulder by Colorado police (Slevin, 2021). - 65-year-old White grandmother tasered during a traffic stop for a malfunctioning tail-light (KHQ, 2019). - 84-year-old Asian male assaulted for jaywalking (Sheehan, 2014). - 87-year-old Syrian immigrant tasered despite non-violence (Hauser, 2018).
Broader Implications: Highlights that excessive policing is not only a “Black problem”; White victims also face police violence indicating systemic issues in law enforcement.

Implicit Racial Bias: Social psychological research shows how implicit biases affect policing, highlighting how race operates on conscious and unconscious levels among officers.
Consequences of Structural Racism: Structural racism results in segregation from opportunities, quality education, and equitable treatment in the criminal justice system.
Historical Context: Black individuals' historical status as criminals greatly affects police perception and treatment, contributing to racial disparities in policing.

Increased police contact leads to negative consequences such as criminal records for minor offenses, economic hardship from fines, and an accumulation of police encounters that disproportionately affect Black individuals.
High Need Communities: Areas labeled as "high crime" receive more policing, often resulting in harmful interactions that reinforce negative stereotypes of POC (Haldipur, 2019).

Case studies demonstrate police behavior beyond mere split-second decisions often reinforced by systemic and cultural biases in law enforcement. - Ex: The prolonged death of George Floyd showcases inhumane police conduct and disregard for Black humanity.

Historically, policing has been perceived as a tool for political and socio-economic control.
Peel’s Nine Principles of Law Enforcement emphasize community-oriented policing; however, their practical application has failed in modern contexts.

Abolitionists argue: Policing cannot be meaningfully reformed due to its ingrained racist and violent structures (Brown and Schept, 2017).
Reform advocates believe: Changes can bring substantive improvements to policing practices.
Transformation as a Middle Ground: Policies that reshape the dynamic between public safety and policing to address structural inequalities.

The call to defund the police arises from the correlation between unchecked police violence and societal inequality.
Reallocation of Police Funds: Proposals suggest redirecting funds towards community-based services that address root causes of crime.
Statistical Evidence: Investments in education, housing, and social services are shown to effectively reduce crime compared to police expenditures (King et al., 2005). - The narrative of “defunding” emphasizes investing in long-term community well-being rather than punitive enforcement.

Examples show successful reallocations of funds from police to social services and community support programs: - Austin, Texas shifted funds to support housing for the homeless (McGlinchy, 2021). - Advance Peace reduced gun violence through community mentoring and investments in youth (Corburn et al., 2020). - Cure Violence employs disease control tactics to interrupt cycles of violence and connect high-risk individuals with resources (Butts et al., 2015).

Urgency for structural change in policing is paramount due to the systemic danger posed by modern police practices.
Calls for reallocating police resources signify a shift toward building essential services in communities to foster safety and well-being.
The historical footprint and current practices of policing necessitate a reevaluation of its role in public safety, pushing for less reliance on punitive measures and more on supportive community infrastructures.