For racial justice advocates, ‘Defund Police’ remains central rallying cry People protest in Brooklyn, New York on June 7, 2020. Photo by Fiora Watts.
When a mob of pro-Trump insurgents accountability when such violence occurs, carrying Confederate flags and neo-Nazi have increased calls by Black Lives Matter insignia violently stormed the U.S. Capi- activists in recent years to defund police. tol on January 6, video footage of a CapThe idea: if police aren’t making comitol police officer taking a selfie with a munities safer, then why not shrink rioter went viral. their budgets and reallocate funding As the day wore on, many were quick toward things that do? to contrast the underwhelming response Advocates argue incremental reforms, by law enforcement toward predomi- like restrictive use of force policies, don’t Denver’s Support Team Assistance nantly white terrorists, with the tear gas, go far enough and should take a back- Response (STAR) program sends a rubber bullets, pepper spray and vio- seat to the more transformative solution medic and mental health clinician to lence mostly Black and Brown activists of slashing law enforcement budgets, to respond to emergency calls. Photo by: Mental Health Center of Denver were met with last summer while peace- free up funding for quality healthcare, fully protesting police brutality following housing and other programs that centu- by police officers and firefighters. In the George Floyd’s murder. ries of racist policymaking have denied first six months of the program, the STAR For racial justice advocates, the treat- Black people and communities adequate team responded to 748 emergency calls, ment by law enforcement none of which led to arrests. was predictable. Multiple Austin is diverting monBlack people are 3 times more likely than ey from its police budget to studies have demonstrated Black Americans’ distrust of fund supportive housing. white people to be killed by police and police—distrust rooted in Seattle is using participatory 1.3 times more likely to be unarmed when budgeting to give residents Southern “slave patrols” and a long history of discriminakillings occur. In 98.3% of killings, police a say in where to redirect tory policing. funding cut from its police officers are not charged with a crime. According to Mapping Pobudget. lice Violence, Black people Almost a year after last are 3 times more likely than white people access to. summer’s protests for racial justice, adto be killed by police and 1.3 times more Some cities are putting this theory to vocates remain committed to building likely to be unarmed when killings occur. the test. Denver’s Support Team Assis- public and political will for reimagining In 98.3% of killings, police officers are not tance Response (STAR) pilot program, community investment and rethinking charged with a crime. which launched last June, allowed a the power and scope of policing. The police violence experienced by medic and mental health clinician to take Written by Aditi Ramaswami. Follow Black Americans, coupled with the lack of emergency calls traditionally answered her on Twitter @aditiramaswami.
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March 2021 | Feature
See sources cited at: asianavemag.com/post/defund-police
