“How could society function without police?” It’s nearly impossible to imagine an America that doesn’t heavily rely on armed law enforcement, even for those calling to “defund the police” and the growing number of Americans who recognize how policing contributes to structural racism. Cops are asked to mediate conflicts, manage traffic, patrol neighborhoods, mentor youth, and so much more. They’re responsible for responding to everything from low-level crimes to violent emergencies. But advocates of defunding the police are not calling for the lawless, police-free world that critics fear. Instead, confronting our fear of defunding the police means shifting responsibilities that the police should never have had in the first place to a new class of unarmed public safety officers.
Why Are We Afraid of Defunding the Police? (Jordan Sandman and Joe Wilkes, New America)
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