Defunding the Police: Is Reform Really Enough?

BY: SARAH WALDMAN

Above: How much is budgeted to carry out San Diego’s General Fund Department Programs and Services in 2021. Photo courtesy of The City of San Diego.

In 2019, the City of San Diego allocated $480 million of the city’s budget to the San Diego Police Department. In 2020, the police budget increased to $539 million, which is 34% of the city’s $1.6 billion budget. On Monday, June 8, San Diego received over 400 phone calls and 4,000 emails demanding that the city reduce funding for the police. After 12 hours of speakers and debate, San Diego’s city council made an 8-1 (nearly unanimous) decision: to do the opposite. Mayor Kevin Faulconer proposed a $27 million increase, bumping the police department budget up to $568 million for fiscal year 2021. Councilwoman Barbara Bry is an advocate of police reform, but believes that a constrained budget would result in the “demise of community-oriented policing in San Diego and a return to the military-style, search-anddestroy approach.” Faulconer strongly supports Councilwoman Monica Montgomery’s proposed Office on Race and Equity, believing that the office will be a step in the direction of systemic change. Montgomery stated that the mission of the new office will be “healing race relations in our city” and will include “economic and justice components.” Councilman Chris Ward, the lone city council member who voted against funding the police, wanted to allocate more

funds toward small business assistance and towards rent relief for low-income residents.

Although the new Office of Race and Equity plans to help minorities, many residents of San Diego believe that deep cuts to police funding are essential to helping communities of color. Resident Adam Woodnut stated, “The police do not need more funding. These funds should instead be reallocated to addressing issues such as poverty, homelessness, mental health and the well-being of our communities of color.” Most proponents of defunding the police also advocate redirecting police funds to health care, mass transit, community organizations, and high-speed internet for low-income residents. Defunding the police would mean an investment in housing, mental-health care and other community resources. And, it would mean decreasing our community’s reliance on policing. Time and time again, residents of the United States have called the police for emergencies and non-emergencies alike. Police have been given the power to criminalize mental illnesses, homelessness, and poverty. Resident Olivia Benice said that “Police should not be the jack-of-alltrades of societal aid — there need to be specialized, dedicated teams for different types of responses to emergency calls.” The growing call to defund the police not only stems from the need to fund other resources, or from police being over-relied upon, but also from the racial bias in the United States’ police systems. Some say that reform is not enough to combat institutionalized racism in police departments. “De-fund this citysanctioned militia that is terrorizing black people,” said resident Breana Clark. “We need resources in our communities, not these thugs wearing a badge.” Christopher Rice-Wilson, associate director at Alliance San Diego, a nonprofit, also commented on the increase of police budgets. “Police budgets keep going up,” he said. “It’s a reflection of folks in power thinking that more money in policing equals more safety.” Although San Diego has plans for police reform measures, it is uncertain whether they will be enough — or if they are a step in the wrong direction altogether.

Sources: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2020-06-08/thousands-lobby san-diego-city-council-to-reduce-police-funding-boost-programs-for-minorities

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/watchdog/story/2020-06-14/rising-police-s heriffs-budgets-eating-into-other-public-services

https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/iba/pdf/bpguide.pdf

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/06/07/defund-police-heres-what-thatrea lly-means/