Defund the police department, can it work? ...and.....

[tzarinna]

This city disbanded its police department 7 years ago. Here's what happened next - CNN

Just to piggyback on your post.

The City That Remade Its Police Department

 

[NHawk19]

You almost need 3 levels of enforcement, and still a branch for more detective type work. The first is a neighborhood patrol where officers get to know the people they're protecting. All officers regardless of background should spend 3-5 years doing this before moving up. If they want to move up they should have to get letters of recommendation from the people on their beat. Also their primary means of action is non-lethal, and to increase community engagement, trust, and build relationships. They need to know the people they are protecting and look at them as people. Rubber bullets, pepper spray, maybe stun guns, but still armor and body cams. In fairness some people will still view them as targets. Then you need a second level for responses to what could be highly likely a bad situation or violent domestic issues, and or traffic stops (you just never know who is being pulled over). The upper level would be reserved for more of a SWAT Imminent danger to situation.

In all cases training about de-escalation should take place. And beginning at that Level 2 a person specifically trained as a counselor or mental health professional should probably accompany the officer being dispatched. In all cases body cameras should be utilized.

The real question is how to you get past the cops protecting cops mentality that currently exists? Have everyone re-apply?

 

[Detective Conan]

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Anywhere they're talking about actually dismantling a police department, that's something that would obviously have to be handled very carefully. They can't get rid of what's there until they've got something absolutely ready to step in. That means new officers are going to have to be trained and as street-ready as they can be before the old system goes. There's the issue of mentoring. Rookies are paired with veterans to show them the ropes; not just the locations of the 'friendliest' eating/drinking establishments, but practical alertness and survival. It's no use being supremely well-intentioned and determined to bring about positive change in your community, if you get blown away on your first traffic stop or disturbance call. Not saying it couldn't be done (the kind of area and the size of the department in question would obviously be impact factors), but it'd be a lot harder than some realise.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

What about amnesty for those that turn in bad cops during a reorganization? I think this needs some thought. If a place decides that officers need to reapply maybe dangle that those that will come forward can help block those bad cops from reupping?

 

[CJ]

Why not just pass new laws that go after cops that abuse their power or commit acts of police brutality? Defunding the police or having a completely new alternative to police is a bit extreme.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Why not just pass new laws that go after cops that abuse their power or commit acts of police brutality? Defunding the police or having a completely new alternative to police is a bit extreme.

Well for one the issue is not just a simple story of "bad guys doing bad things".

That is a delusion some want to live in to either dismiss there's as big a problem as there actually is (And which the history of the last two weeks proves said delusion is operating from a false premise, i.e. it's just "a few bad apples".) or because they don't believe in the concept that "systemic racism" can ever actually be a thing.

And beyond just the racial bias component in terms of abuse there's far more. There's the way we ask the police to do too much in the first place. We defund EVERYTHING else based on some pretty ****ing spurious political outlooks then wonder how the cops are dealing with so much. That's an outgrowth of the "Government is always the problem" conservative Republican nonsense that at least had some basis in the reality of say, 1978-1980.

But it's not the late 70's anymore. Tax cuts for the wealthy and "starving the beast" are not the answers now, if they ever were. Cut the social safety net to tatters, defund programs for the reformation of convicts, shrink the availability of drug treatment programs, allow schools to continually cut more programs that keep kids safe afterschool, cut outreach to the homeless... Eventually this all falls on the shoulders of first responders like police, fire and EMTs. Perhaps we should have considered that instead of arming our domestic police with equipment and weapons that are truly only appropriate for an occupying army? When every tool is a hammer... well you should know the rest of the saying.

Questions of funding go to a lot of other facets of the issues with LOEs. Maybe instead of the city directly being asked to pay for damages when cops go out of control, the police pension should be raided to pay for police misconduct?

The right wing echo chamber has got people worried about the wrong things in terms of this "defund" stance currently. And I have my own reservations... But it's not the same as the hyperbolic nonsense of the Reactionaries right now.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

US House passes sweeping police reform bill

The US House of Representatives has passed a sweeping police reform bill that currently has little prospect of becoming law amid partisan gridlock.

The Democratic-controlled chamber voted 236-181 for the measure mainly along party lines on Thursday night.

The legislation is named after George Floyd, the unarmed black man whose death in police custody last month ignited worldwide protests.

But US President Donald Trump has threatened to veto the measure.

The Democratic bill would hold police officers personally liable for damages in lawsuits, ban no-knock warrants often used by police in drug raids, and halt the flow of military surplus equipment to police departments.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

 

[Iceman]

Is there much prospect of positive change so far? I guess it will be a long process even if so.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Is there much prospect of positive change so far? I guess it will be a long process even if so.

It would be a long and detailed process regardless. Think of how large the U.S. is. Now imagine that there are subdivisions of subdivisions. Each with their own chain of command, a different mayor or town council and then there's the different Union heads.

Even if the police departments were all on board the task of reforming the majority of Police Departments here from the ground up would still be like a task to fill a decade.

This as they say is a marathon not a sprint.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Seattle police chief quits after force 'defunded'

Seattle's chief of police has announced her resignation on the same day that the city council voted to reduce the police budget and lay off officers.

Carmen Best's decision comes amid pressure on police after George Floyd's death, unrest in Seattle and budget shortfalls due to the current pandemic.

Chief Best became the city's first black police chief in 2018, leading a 1,400-member force.

The US military veteran joined the Seattle Police Department in 1992.

She will stay on until 2 September.

Budget cuts
On Monday, the city council voted to cut more than $3m (£2.3m) from the police's $400m annual operating budget. The cuts are expected to lead to the loss of about 100 police officers, but fall short of the hopes of anti-police brutality Black Lives Matter protesters who have called for a 50% reduction.

Seattle City Council President M Lorena González said it was necessary to rebalance the police budget, due to a loss of government tax funds caused by the economic downturn, and the demands of Black Lives Matter protests - some of whom have called for "defunding" the police and instead using the money to bolster social services.

The new budget also reduces the police chief's salary from $294,000 to $275,000 per year.

After the measure was approved in a 7-1 vote, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan - who could still veto the cuts - denounced the decision.

"It is unfortunate Council has refused to engage in a collaborative process to work with the Mayor, Chief Best, and community members to develop a budget and policies that respond to community needs while accounting for - not just acknowledging - the significant labour and legal implications involved in transforming the Seattle Police Department," she said in a statement after the vote.

The Downtown Seattle Association also condemned the cuts, saying: "In defunding SPD, the council moved with speed and pettiness rather than with precision and thoughtfulness.

"Decisions critical to public safety require stating the desired results and working with the community to figure out how to get there. This Council focused largely on an abstract pledge and not a concrete plan."

 

[Teelie]

A small budget cut and they act like it's going to strip them of everything. 3 million out of 400? That's not even a single percent of their budget. It's a joke.