Was/Is "defund the police" a good policy for Democrats? (1 Viewer)

[Josie]

Defund The Police

We call for a national defunding of police. We demand investment in our communities and the resources to ensure Black people not only survive, but thrive.

defundthepolice.org

Was/Is this a good strategy/policy for Democrats to get behind?

 

[Slartibartfast]

The policy I think was ok, the timing did not work due to the problems of coming out of the pandemic.

 

[AliHajiSheik]

It is the worst political slogan ever, even worse than the appeal to end women's suffrage.

A lot of people want the police to be manged differently, and then there are the batshit crazy people that truly want what the slogan says.

 

[phoenix2020]

The idea of shifting some funds from patrol officers to other roles more practiced and able to de-escalate situations or mediate issues that do not require armed law enforcement is fundamentally sound, in my opinion. However, the idea of simply curtailing police and not advancing an alternative was stupid. Regardless of which idea was being championed, 'defund the police' was a terrible slogan to rally around.

 

[Rexedgar]

I was against this crapola slogan a while ago.

We've got to talk about what happened to democrats in the house this year.

Good God...how in the ****ing HELL did democrats get destroyed so badly in a year that Trump lost? Not only this but Republicans also control state legislatures so they will be gerrymandering the Hell out of districts and with ACB on the SC the maps likely won't be overturned. This is a...

debatepolitics.com

Police reforms quickly take hold across America. It's only just getting started

Protests work. Though to be fair, they wouldn't have worked without ubiquitous film evidence of police brutality. (CNN)One reform repeals a New York state statute that kept secret the personnel and disciplinary records of police officers, leaving the public in the dark about officers'...

debatepolitics.com

 

[Slartibartfast]

It is the worst political slogan ever, even worse than the appeal to end women's suffrage.

A lot of people want the police to be manged differently, and then there are the batshit crazy people that truly want what the slogan says.

Yeah, they needed to consult someone in PR before calling it that. That was just stupid.

 

[noonereal]

Defund The Police

We call for a national defunding of police. We demand investment in our communities and the resources to ensure Black people not only survive, but thrive.

defundthepolice.org

Was/Is this a good strategy/policy for Democrats to get behind?

It NEVER was a dem iniative.

Good grief.

Your post sounds like it has been "Foxed"

 

[Josie]

It NEVER was a dem iniative.

Uh, it was.

Here's CNN talking about it how it was a political mistake for Dems:




Even Obama had to step in and say it wasn't good for Democrats to be going down that path.

 

[Cardinal]

The spectacular failure of the "defund the police" movement was educational in a few ways, big and small.

1) Messaging is important. This is a "No duh" statement to most, but you'd be surprised by how many people seem perplexed by the fact that a good idea has to have good packaging. "The slogan doesn't matter! It wins by the virtue of its rightness alone!" As Dr. Phil would say, "How's that working out for you?" And if you answer, "It's working out great!" just remember that this is specifically the reason why Biden doesn't get to have a domestic agenda, and why Democrats aren't allowed to take a crap in the morning unless Manchin and Sinema approve of it first.

The ideas contained within "Defund the police" are good. Unfortunately, the slogan itself can only make people not already on board with it imagine a hellscape in which Mad Max marauders have taken over the neighborhood and are beating, robbing and raping their loves ones with impunity. Messaging matters. Sorry, guys. Otherwise you're going to have to explain why marketing is a multibillion dollar industry, or why Fox News exists.

2) Crime matters to the American people. Another "Duh" comment, but you can't tackle head-on the fact that right wing pundits get this concept just fine and are weaponizing it handily. Democrats have to show they take it seriously just as much as Republicans. The problem is doing so in a way that doesn't devolve into the same old "tough on crime" tropes that make society worse. Which brings us to the most important point...

3) Police aren't to blame for all their abuses; we are. Before the 2020 election, the onus for my condemnation of law enforcement and the justice system in whole fell on the justice system. Traffic ticket quotas, unlawful search and seizure, civil asset forfeiture, qualified immunity, the strength of police unions in thwarting accountability, plea bargaining, mandatory minimums, legalized corruption as a result of the war on drugs...I blame police and the justice system. (And this isn't even getting into the things police and the courts themselves have no involvement in, such as the treatment of inmates and how they fit back into society once they exit the prison system, all of which are their own dumpster fires).

But in 2020, the public saw police beat peaceful protesters across the country and we still punished Democrats for wanting to hold them accountable anyway. This illustrates that all the abuses I listed above didn't come out of a vacuum. We put the politicians in power who create laws that make them possible. So if you don't like those abuses, just ask yourself if you're the one who voted for the guy who promised to be "tough on crime." If you did, then the problem is you.

 

[ttwtt78640]

It NEVER was a dem iniative.

Good grief.

Your post sounds like it has been "Foxed"

It was a (stupid) BLM initiative which was adopted by some (yet far from all) demorats. More decided to call it “reimagining police”, but that would have actually cost more to implement.

 

[Mycroft]

Defund The Police

We call for a national defunding of police. We demand investment in our communities and the resources to ensure Black people not only survive, but thrive.

defundthepolice.org

Was/Is this a good strategy/policy for Democrats to get behind?

This was one of the most boneheaded notions that came out of the BLM movement and that was championed by Democratic politicians across the country. And this is evidenced by the scramble by those Democratic politicians, the past year, to distance themselves from the idea. Some politicians have even gone so far as to falsely deny they were ever for the idea.

Here's an example:

Then...

Now...

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Tuesday said she “never supported defunding the police” and talked up her plan to hire up the city’s police force to 4,000 officers — with 30% made up of women cops by 2030.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser wants 30% women police force by 2030

Bowser on Tuesday said she “never supported defunding the police."

www.axios.com

 

[ttwtt78640]

The policy I think was ok, the timing did not work due to the problems of coming out of the pandemic.

Nope, the idea that crime (illegal acts) and by extension criminals (those who commit illegal acts) is a social problem therefore should be dealt with by social workers rather than LEOs and the rest of the criminal justice system was ridiculous.

While drug addiction (alone) is a medical and/or mental health issue, the numerous crimes committed to support a drug habit are not. Add to that the violent crime, to decide which street gang will (temporarily) control the lucrative ‘street drug’ supply within a given area, and it becomes apparent that this is not something that social workers (no matter how well funded) are going to be able to control.

 

[gbg3]

It was a (stupid) BLM initiative which was adopted by some (yet far from all) demorats. More decided to call it “reimagining police”, but that would have actually cost more to implement.

I thought "reimagining" didn't come about until "defund" started getting slammed pretty hard and then there was a pivot to the use of "reimagining".

 

[antiquity]

I can't off the top of my head think of any good policies by the democrats.

 

[bluesmoke]

Another example of the Dems complete failure in communicating a policy that would actually help police better attend to core competency and failure in bothering to defend that position against the Rep/cons being the ones that define Dem policy. Police escalated minor violation to the point of the " violators' " death that could have been better handled by someone whose training was concentrated on such, and unarmed. There's also social service being better trained to manage mental health situation, also unarmed, that could relieve the police from having to bother spending time on what could be used on crime, especially violent crime. But police depts don't want to give up any power whatsoever. Which incl money and citizen stops of any kind. IMO, if duties were shifted, police could do a better job on their core responsibilities and others could pick up the remaining duties having better competency for such. Moneywise, the total would probably end up costing more than the savings from reductions in police budgets.

 

[ttwtt78640]

I thought "reimagining" didn't come about until "defund" started getting slammed pretty hard and then there was a pivot to the use of "reimagining".

Yep, that was Biden’s version of what “defund” really was supposed to mean.

 

[multivita-man]

Sure, it's good - if you're into political seppuku

 

[ALiberalModerate]

Defund The Police

We call for a national defunding of police. We demand investment in our communities and the resources to ensure Black people not only survive, but thrive.

defundthepolice.org

Was/Is this a good strategy/policy for Democrats to get behind?

Please provide examples of more than 10% of the entire Democratic congressional caucus, or anyone in Democratic leadership getting behind Defund the Police.

 

[Slartibartfast]

Nope, the idea that crime (illegal acts) and by extension criminals (those who commit illegal acts) is a social problem therefore should be dealt with by social workers rather than LEOs and the rest of the criminal justice system was ridiculous.

The cause is almost always social, however the enforcement piece may require the use of force, but that is a bandaid in most cases.

While drug addiction (alone) is a medical and/or mental health issue, the numerous crimes committed to support a drug habit are not. Add to that the violent crime, to decide which street gang will (temporarily) control the lucrative ‘street drug’ supply within a given area, and it becomes apparent that this is not something that social workers (no matter how well funded) are going to be able to control.

Crime is more complex than that.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Please provide examples of more than 10% of the entire Democratic congressional caucus, or anyone in Democratic leadership getting behind Defund the Police.

That is ignoring the reality that police departments are mostly funded by state and local governments. Thankfully, far less than 10% decided that this dopey BLM idea was worth a try.

 

[Kreton]

Defund The Police

We call for a national defunding of police. We demand investment in our communities and the resources to ensure Black people not only survive, but thrive.

defundthepolice.org

Was/Is this a good strategy/policy for Democrats to get behind?

No. It has never even been a good idea. It is a dumb idea put forth by people who don't understand the function of the police.

There are a few things with our police force as a whole that need to be addressed.

Retrain police so that lethal force is not as overused as it is.
Train police in dealing with mental health people in better ways.
Teach police to respect people. All people.
Hold officers accountable for things they do, including those who use the bullshit blue wall to protect corruption.

 

[Josie]

Please provide examples of more than 10% of the entire Democratic congressional caucus, or anyone in Democratic leadership getting behind Defund the Police.

Why?

 

[noonereal]

Uh, it was.

Here's CNN talking about it how it was a political mistake for Dems:




Even Obama had to step in and say it wasn't good for Democrats to be going down that path.

I repeat, it was never a political initiative for Dems. They ran from it from day one when some radical leftists first uttered it.

 

[noonereal]

It was a (stupid) BLM initiative which was adopted by some (yet far from all) demorats. More decided to call it “reimagining police”, but that would have actually cost more to implement.

Very very very few Dems ever supported defund the police. Just a handful of the fringe. They were asked to shut up by the main stream dems.

 

[ttwtt78640]

The cause is almost always social, however the enforcement piece may require the use of force, but that is a bandaid in most cases.

Crime is more complex than that.

I understand the theory that once social problems have been solved (corrected?) then crime would drop, but that is not going to be accomplished by reducing the police budget as step one.