Defunding the police is a very bad idea. If you think that getting rid of the police will make things better, you should rethink that idea.

If there is no police department then who enforces the law, comes to the rescue or a myriad of other things most people are not aware of?

To make matters even worse what eventually would happen is a private police force for the haves and some poorly funded version for the have-nots. Today we have a police force that works for everyone, neither being poor nor the rich is a criteria for them to respond when called.

Right wing groups like the White Supremacists and others like them plus Antifa and the rest of progressive (leftists) are the ones primarily calling for getting rid of the police. It would benefit them immensely. There would be no one to arrest them or make sure that they do not destroy property.

In Minneapolis Minnesota (where Floyd George died) the city counsel is going to dismantle the police department. The counsel President Lisa Bender tweeted this, “Yes. We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department and replace it with a transformative new model of public safety.” Another counsel member said, “We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department. And when we’re done, we’re not simply gonna glue it back together. We are going to dramatically rethink how we approach public safety and emergency response.”

Sounds like pie in the sky wishful thinking to me. Most police departments are understaffed and need more money for officers to maintain patrols and detectives to investigate robberies, etc. Getting rid of the police and/or reducing what they now do is a very slippery slope that could end up with the public getting the dirty end of the stick.

The very neighborhoods that need the police the most are those in poor areas. With that in mind I and most police officials understand is that what is needed is more neighborhood interaction and other programs to help the police patrols understand the people of the area where they patrol. Some good old fashioned foot patrolling would increase not only perceived levels of safety for the residents, but it would enable a dialogue to take place to the benefit of everyone.

Remember this, who responds first when you call 911 for an ambulance, the police that is who! Who helps search for a lost child, the police. And so on and on I could go. I hope you are getting the idea. We need the police, they are not the enemy. They come in many races, creeds and religions. They are your neighbors and have a stake in the community too. They want to be safe and also want you to be not afraid of them and feel safe too.

Please remember this, throwing money at a problem does not (always) solve that problem. It takes people working together to come up solutions.

That is my opinion- Jumpin Jersey Mike