The saying “Defund the Police” has been a very popular phrase ever since the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests that began clear back in July 2013 when African American teen Trayvon Martin was unjustifiably shot and killed by police. The saying “Defund the Police” came up again in late May when the George Floyd protests started. People are still confused on what the actual meaning of this phrase is.

Many people believe that “Defund the Police” means we want to abolish and completely get rid of the police, which is very untrue. The word abolish does in fact mean get rid of or formally put an end to (a system, practice, or institution) but Defund is completely different. Defund actually means to prevent from the continuation of receiving funds.

Therefore, the meaning of “Defund the Police” means to take some (not all) of the police’s funding and to relocate it into non-policing forms of public safety and community support. These forms consist of social services, youth services, housing, education, and health care.

Real studies show that defunding the police provides better crime deterrent for communities. The funds would go towards social issues such as poverty, homelessness, and mental disorders. Doing this causes less strain on society’s social classes, which eventually results in a happier community with less reasons to commit crime and less need for police. Although the police are not going anywhere, a community with less crime and less policing is a better, happier, and safer community for everyone.

Sources: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/06/19/what-does-defund-the-police-mean-and-does-it-have-merit/

https://nypost.com/2020/06/09/defund-the-police-what-it-really-means-and-how-it-would-work/

https://www.aclu.org/news/criminal-law-reform/defunding-the-police-will-actually-make-us-safer/