By: Shecondria Duncan
What does that mean?
Police brutality is a long-standing issue in America. The list of African Americans falling victim to senseless killings at the hands of police continues to grow. The most recent name added to that list is George Floyd. Mr. Floyd was killed in police custody in Minnesota on May 25, 2020. His death sparked nationwide protests and a massive call to defund the police. Police department funds should reallocate to other government agencies and community service programs, the citizens behind this call believe. The idea is to provide alternative services to reduce the contributing factors to crime like poverty, homelessness, and education.
Examples of successful resources in place of police action/engagement.
Some U.S. cities have already taken action to defund their police departments. Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, Baltimore, and several other cities, are redirecting funding for police to other programs. Austin, Texas, has taken the lead in this effort by significantly reducing funding provided to their police department. They have cut approximately $20 million from the police department’s budget and reallocated $80 million from the agency by shifting some services out of law enforcement. The city plans to use the reallocated funds for public health and public safety issues. Some of those include community medics, mental health first responders, services for the homeless, substance abuse programs, food access, workforce development, victim support, and parks.
On January 27, 2021, Austin City Council voted to purchase a hotel and turn it into a 60-unit permanent supportive housing complex for individuals experiencing homelessness. The city plans to use funds taken from the police department’s budget to provide services to the housing complex residents. Councilmember Gregorgio Casar led an initiative to reallocate a recurring fund of $6.5 million from the city’s police budget to help fund this facility. Local non-profits will be working with the project to provide wraparound services for the residents like case management, workforce development programs, mental health or substance abuse support, and job placement services.
The results of this city’s effort to take bold action in defunding the police are worth keeping an eye on. They could ultimately serve as a model for the rest of the country to implement and follow.
All in all, it appears there are effective alternatives to policing services that could reduce or end police brutality in this country.
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