• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Display Search Bar
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Facebook Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Twitter Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Pinterest Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Instagram Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on YouTube Follow 5 Minutes For Mom via RSS

5 Minutes for Mom

Main navigation

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast and Brunch
      • Snack
      • Lunch
      • Appetizer
      • Dinner
      • Dessert
    • Ingredient
      • Apple
      • Beef
      • Blueberry
      • Chicken
      • Chocolate
      • Cranberry
      • Peach
      • Pumpkin
      • Squash
      • Strawberry
      • Tomato
      • Vegetables
      • Zucchini
    • Method
      • Air Fryer
      • Baking
      • Grilling
      • Instant Pot
      • No Bake
      • One Dish
      • Slow Cooker
    • Type
      • Breads and Rolls
      • Cakes and Muffins
      • Condiments
      • Cookies and Bars
      • Drinks
      • Food for Kids
      • Gluten-Free
      • Main Dish
      • Pies and Crisps
      • Salads
      • Sandwiches and Wraps
      • Side Dishes
      • Smoothies
      • Soup
  • Crafts & DIY
    • Crafts
    • DIY
    • Kids Crafts
    • Printables
    • Scrapbooking
    • Sewing
  • Family Life
    • Giveaways
    • Lifestyle
    • Marriage
    • Motherhood
    • Parenting
    • Pet Care
    • Special Needs
    • Time Management
    • Travel
  • Holidays
    • New Year’s
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Mother’s Day
    • Fourth of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas

Defund the Police is Not a Call for Anarchy – What #DefundPolice Really Means

June 10, 2020 by Janice

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

ShareTweetPinPocketMail

Defund the police is not a call for anarchy – it is a call for restructuring and resolving the problems in the current, broken system.

State Patrol Police Heavily Armed - Photo by Lorie Shaull
Photo by Lorie Shaull


 

When I first heard “Defund the Police” I was confused – don’t we still need police?

But as I researched the changes that are being suggested, I realized the demand to “Defund the Police” is not only reasonable, it is a critical piece of the natural and necessary evolution of our society.

Defunding the police isn’t about allowing lawlessness and anarchy – it is about rethinking community needs and protection.

It is about adding a new emergency service of social workers and people trained in de-escalation, mental health crises, substance abuse, and domestic violence.

[Tweet “Defunding the police is about shifting budget to a new emergency service of social workers and people trained in de-escalation, mental health crises, substance abuse, and domestic violence. Learn more about #DefundPolice…”]
 

Defund Police - Black Lives Matter Protest - Washington DC - Photo by Yash Mori
Photo by Yash Mori

I am a white Canadian woman. I grew up in an affluent neighborhood, wrapped safely in white privilege.

I have never had to fear the police or visit a family member in prison.

I have no idea what it is like to face a world that is working against you.

But I am trying to listen and learn. I certainly don’t have the answers.

But, in case you are confused and perhaps even angry when you hear, “Defund the Police,” I wanted to share some of what I am learning about why the idea isn’t as ludicrous as it might sound.
 

The Defund the Police movement is EVOLUTION at work.

As a species, we must constantly evolve and improve to survive.

We must fight against the danger of the status quo, the temptation to continue in the same patterns simply because it is the way “we have always done it.”

At no point in our human history have we ever succeeded by doing things the way “we have always done it.” Obviously, every aspect of our lives is constantly evolving, from our education to our transportation, to our communication, to our medical practices, etc.

We learn, we change, we get better.

We Can Do Better Sign - Photo by Jason Hargrove Flickr
Photo by Jason Hargrove

The call to defund the police is actually about trying to look at what we have learned through the successes and failures of law enforcement and the justice system and build a system that works better for everyone.

Keith Mayes, professor of African American studies at the University of Minnesota, told CTV News Channel. “They’re not calling for no law enforcement. They are trying to say that there may be other ways that we can police and we can engage in public safety in our communities. Maybe not this massive militarized police presence.”
 

Heavily Armed Police Officer - Photo by Becker1999 Flickr
Photo by Becker1999 (Paul and Cathy)

Removing Violence

Over the last several decades, we have removed corporal punishment from our schools, we have made it illegal for parents to whip their children and men to beat and rape their wives, and now we need to eliminate police brutality and racial discrimination.

As a society, we need to continue to stand up to people in power who use violence to intimidate and control.

Do not let cops get away with murder - Photo by David Geitgey Sierralupe
Photo by David Geitgey Sierralupe

It is unacceptable when a police officer, whose role it is to protect and serve, uses unnecessary force and violence against members of the public.

According to Toronto activist Desmond Cole, the current police response to a mental health crisis is harmful.

“What we do now is we say ‘Let’s send several burly men with guns who have a licence to kill to go and support somebody who may be in mental health crisis.’ We don’t care about the fact that that person may be terrified about an armed response to their house. We keep insisting that there’s no other way.”

Cole and fellow activists insist there is a better way — they want people who are unarmed and trained in social work with expertise in de-escalation tactics and the ability to offer services and support to respond to such crisis.

Former RCMP officer Alain Babineau told CTV News Montreal, “Something that they should be taking a little more time in dealing with they’re so quick (with) tickets and cuffs… and you end up with horrific scenarios that are making the news.”
 

Call in the Experts

Defunding the police does not mean that we do not need police officers and first responders.

Society definitely needs such emergency services — but we need the RIGHT KIND of first responders for the situation at hand.

Many police interactions and calls are dealing with mental health issues, substance abuse, and domestic violence.

As a society, we should not be sending armed police officers, who are trained to arrest and dominate, into situations that require experts trained in de-escalation, drug use, and mental health.

Sandy Hudson, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto is calling for a “new emergency service.”

Hudson explained to CTV, “People would have the option to call experts who are trained to deal with the health needs and social needs of people who are experiencing a mental health crisis.”

CTV also reported that some members of the policing community agree:

“Carl Cartwright, an inspector with the Ottawa Police Service, said that he would be open to a reassessment of whether or not policing is the correct response for a variety of incidents in communities. ‘Policing is already pulled in many different directions and not every call for service in the community requires a police officer to be there, but we seem today to be the panacea for all the ills of society, because we respond to everything.’”

The Police Need More Support

Police officers shouldn’t have to deal with the chaos caused by under-funded health care and mental health programs.

The fact is that when governments do not invest in health care, child care, substance abuse, education, and social and community programming, the demand on police services go up.

Police officers are called into situations that should not be their problem and they do not have the resources to help.

In my twenties, I was a community youth worker for a private organization, called Youth for Christ. I saw first hand how the lack of resources contributed to the problems in families and the community.

I know many wonderful police officers who are honest, hard working public servants.

We need good police officers — and we need to give them the training, community support and resources to allow them to do their job with less stress and less violence.

 

Who are the Real Criminals

Personally, I think a certain number of prisons are necessary. There are people who are dangerous and need to be in prison.

Police do have a role in society. Society does need protection.

But from whom?

Who is actually endangering the lives of Americans and Canadians?

Drug addiction, substance abuse, poverty, mental illness — these problems need to be addressed with robust social and health care programs.

And kids struggling at school, certainly should NOT be handcuffed. Police should NOT be in schools.

Black Lives Matter Protest - Photo by Phil Roeder
Photo by Phil Roeder

It is sickening to realize that the two most corrupt presidents in American history have called themselves the “Law and Order” presidents.

They have stood on their platforms, shaken their fists, and declared they would protect Americans from criminals, while they had their staff carry out crimes against their own country.

Prisons, especially in America, are overflowing with men and women who should not be incarcerated, whose lives were destroyed because of racial injustice and poverty.

After watching Ava DuVernay’s documentary “13TH” on Netflix, I was horrified to learn of the extent and history of the systemic racism and abuse that have lead to a “justice” system where one out of four African-American males will serve prison time at one point or another in their lives.

At various points in “13TH”, there are cuts to the word CRIMINAL in all caps across the screen. It is a reminder of the racism that has vilified people of color and the injustice that has unfairly incarcerated millions of black Americans — the higher sentences given for crack vs. cocaine possession, the plea bargains innocent people are scared into signing, and the huge number of people trapped in jails because they are too poor to post bail.

Not only is society being damaged by turning a vast number of citizens into “criminals”, destroying their ability to earn a living, ripping apart families and leaving children without their parents, but the cost of incarcerating those innocent people is STAGGERING.

No More Police Brutality - Photo by Jason Hargrove
Photo by Jason Hargrove

 

Money Better Spent

If any American wants to ask where will the money come for improved social, education, and health care programs, they can look first at the billions of dollars spent every year incarcerating Americans.

“The United States is home to 5% of the world’s population, but 25% of the world’s prisoners. Think about that.” -Barack Obama as quoted in Ava DuVernay’s documentary ‘13TH’

Let’s stop and think about the money it costs the government when a police officer makes an unnecessary arrest of a drug user. There is the cost of the police officer’s time and all the costs of the police department dealing with that charge – the paperwork, the detainment, etc. There is also the cost of the court system, jail, and prison. There is the potential job and income loss of the detained person as well as the child care costs that may occur as a result of that detainment, not to mention the domestic devastation that occurs within that family.

Instead of detaining and arresting (and sometimes killing!) people who are not a threat to society, those funds can be used to hire people who can actually help deal with the root causes of the problems.

Defund Police Sign - Photo by Taymaz Valley
Photo by Taymaz Valley

Many people will disregard these ideas as liberal nonsense, but this isn’t a liberal versus conservative issue.

BOTH parties have done damage and both parties need to realize that police and justice reform just makes SENSE, from a financial and a moral standpoint.

 

Signs that this New Model Works

Changes are happening and there is hopeful news from cities such as Camden, NJ, about how communities can benefit from a different attitude and approach from police forces:

“The entire Camden force was dismantled a few years ago. A new, larger force was rebuilt in conjunction with the surrounding county after a few major adjustments,” the CBC reports, “Officers were retrained, their job conditions were revised and a bigger county-level force was relaunched, not only with more officers but also with a renewed focus: community service…”

This past week, in response to the police killing of George Floyd, Minneapolis City Council announced they intend to defund and dismantle the city’s police department.

Council President Lisa Bender told CNN, “We committed to dismantling policing as we know it in the city of Minneapolis and to rebuild with our community a new model of public safety that actually keeps our community safe.”

After analyzing 911 calls in their city, Bender reports that most calls are for mental health services, health services, EMT and fire and do not require an armed police response.

In a tweet by Jeremiah Ellison, city councilman for Ward 5, promises, “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.”

Police Reform Now Sign - Photo by Becker1999 Flickr
Photo by Becker1999 (Paul and Cathy)

Outside of North America, there are other examples of successful, non-violent policing. In fact, in Norway, Iceland, New Zealand, Britain, and Ireland, police officers generally do not even carry firearms.

Considering the number of guns in America, many Americans may not be comfortable having their police force unarmed.

But as Paul Hirschfield, an associate professor of sociology at Rutgers University, explains a key difference between the US and elsewhere is training.

US police officers are trained for an average of just 19 weeks, whereas police in Norway have three years of training before they’re fully qualified.

Hirschfield explains, “If you only have 19 weeks of training, you’re going to spend those on the most essential things. Unfortunately, in the United States, it’s about what you need to defend yourself. How you’re going to avoid getting hurt. If you have three years, you can also learn how to protect people, how to avoid these situations from arising in the first place. It fosters a whole different orientation and culture in law enforcement.”

Clearly, North American police must increase training to ensure officers de-escalate hostile situations and use minimal violence in response to a threat.

Whether or not North American cities actually dismantle their police forces before rebuilding new systems, it is obvious that the systemic racism within policing must be comprehensively addressed and resolved and that all police officers receive extensive training in de-escalation and dealing with mental health and substance abuse crisis.

We should not forget the incredible men and women who are doing their best to serve their communities as police officers.

Police Taking a Knee - Photo by Rob Bulmahn
Photo by Rob Bulmahn

We must acknowledge the sacrifices and heroism of these first responders.

I imagine most of us know one or more good people who are police officers.

But just because there are “good cops” we cannot give up the fight to improve the enforcement and justice systems that are hurting so many North Americans.

The truth is, we can always do better. And we must.

 

Resources and Further Reading:

  • 13TH – Netflix releases acclaimed Ava DuVernay racial inequality documentary 13th for free
  • Black Lives Matter Vancouver Calls on the City to Dismantle Systems of Violence and Oppression
  • Mineapolis City Council Members Announce Intent to Disband the Police Department, Invest in Proven Community-led Public Safety – The Appeal.org
  • Minneapolis City Council members intend to defund and dismantle the city’s police department – CNN
  • Thousands are calling to defund the VPD. Here’s what that might look like. – CTV News
  • Outrage and calls to ‘defund police’ in Canada – CTV News
  • All 6 officers at Toronto woman’s apartment before her death have been interviewed, SIU says – CTV News
  • Disband the police force? Here’s one U.S. city where the idea has been tried – CBC
  • How do police handle violence in countries where officers don’t carry guns? – Quartz
 

Pin it for Later

What does defund police actually mean
Photo by Becker1999 (Paul and Cathy) – Text added by 5MinutesForMom

 

What Does Defund Police Really Mean
Photo by Yash Mori – Text added by 5MinutesForMom

 

Photos used under Creative Commons License from Flickr. We encourage you to visit each photographer’s Flickr photo stream by clicking the links under the photos.

Written by Janice Croze, co-founder of 5 Minutes for Mom
Talk with me: @5minutesformom and Facebook.com/5minutesformom
Pin with me at pinterest.com/5minutesformom

ShareTweetPinPocketMail
Summer Pasta Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe
How to Sew a Pleated Face Mask with Filter Pocket – Free Pattern and Tutorial

About Janice

Janice is co-founder of 5 Minutes For Mom. She's been working online since 2003 and is thankful her days are full of social media, writing and photography.

Reader Interactions


Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

11 Comments

  1. Jasmine says

    July 8, 2020 at 8:57 am

    Instead of “explaining” what defunding the police really means, let’s instead look at what the word defunding actually means. Defunding means to remove funds [from]. The biggest hint in that word…”fund”, thus funding. Assuming and then having to explain that this does not mean getting rid of police, which would be “removing”, is proof positive that stupid people are running rampant among us.
    If a “movement” such as this wants to happen or needs to happen, perhaps they should say what they mean. According to you, it should be more correctly described as a “Restructure the police” movement. I agree with that – to restructure means to organize differently. If that is what is needed, then perhaps that’s what it should be called. More people can rally with and behind that cause. White, black, yellow, purple, we can all agree policing in a world with so many people, so much crime, so little pay and so little people willing to put their lives on the line can be restructured to be more efficient and to serve people better.
    The words chosen in this time period are well thought out and used in America. Words like defunding when you really mean a restructuring, are used to polarize people. It is meant to be provocative. It might just seem like semantics, but when you want to make policies, have a movement, get people to rally, you need to be correct and confident in your meaning and what you’re standing for. ‘Restructure the police’ movement – I’m for that. Black Lives Matter Too – I’m for that. (As opposed to black lives matter, which gives the impression that no other lives matter, which is why people clap back to that with ALL lives matter. It’s the impression it gives. It doesn’t say what it really means.)

    Reply
  2. Gilbert Scholtz says

    July 2, 2020 at 8:38 pm

    Contrary to the Replies from your Readers to an EXTREME LENGTHY Explanation Of What The Statement Mean [&YOUR LENGTHY EXPLANATION IS “NOT” THE SAME AS THE STATEMENT]
    In Reality Your Making An Excuse For That Statement And An Excuse For What People REALLY BELIEVE THE MEANING OF THAT STATEMENT!
    This Is Typical Of The Democrats & MEDIA To Twist The Truth!
    Just Watch the Hearing of Judge Kavanaugh, The False Impeachment of Trump, the Lies of PELOSI, Schumer & Schiff “Making up Stories” A Common Event!
    “BE STRAIGHT SAY WHAT YOU MEAN & DON’T TWIST WORDS AND TRUTHS”

    Reply
  3. Gilbert Scholtz says

    July 2, 2020 at 8:24 pm

    Your State The Question of “What Defund The Police Mean” Than Give an Answer Contrary to the entire Statement!
    STATE WHAT YOU REALY MEAN & DON’T TWIST TO WHAT “YOU” THINK IT MEANS”
    That Shows Your Insincerity & Deceitfulness To Support To The Majority Wanting To Abolish/Get~Rid of The Police Department!

    Reply
  4. courtney hennagir says

    June 12, 2020 at 7:28 pm

    Thank you for this post! When people hear the word “defund” they automatically think we mean “do away with” and that is so not the case. I try to use the word demilitarize instead. There was a loose dog running around growling at kids last week and instead of calling someone qualified like animal control to deal with it,the police were called in. When my friend had an anxiety attack and mental break due to not taking her meds correctly,the police were called to talk her down. It escalated the situation and made everything worse because they are not equipped to handle that. If a mental health worker had been able to come in instead,I truly believe it would have been 100% better. If we had proper funding for things like mental health and animal control,it would make such a huge difference.We also need to do away with police unions. It’s almost impossible to fire a corrupt officer.

    Reply
    • Janice says

      June 13, 2020 at 5:37 pm

      Exactly! The nature of so many police calls require mental health experts, de-escalation experts, etc. Appropriate funding for comprehensive community support programs would ease the burden on police forces and provide for a healthier, safer community.
      Also, I agree with “demilitarize police” – there needs to be a complete change in the approach of policing.

      Reply
  5. Jo-Lynne Shane says

    June 12, 2020 at 6:49 am

    Thanks for writing this, you explain it very well. I am one who originally bristled at the “defund the police” comments until I read more and understood what it really meant.

    I wish they would come up with a new slogan. It’s misleading, and in this day and age when so many people only listen to sound bites and don’t really dig in to understand the deeper issues, they just hear it and freak out.

    Plus, it doesn’t help that far right conservatives pull out the craziest leftists who ARE actually asking for dismantling police and saying they don’t want them at all. I saw that on one guy I watched – I just clicked thru a link from someone. He’s not someone I “follow.”

    It wasn’t until I dug deeper, asked some questions, and learned what most moderate people mean when they say “defund the police” that I opened up to the idea.

    Sorry this is so long. All that to say, I am so glad you’re addressing this.

    Reply
    • Susan says

      June 12, 2020 at 3:13 pm

      Thanks Jo-Lynne. Yes, it’s frustrating that the slogan is misleading. Far right conservatives are definitely going to use the extremist voices against those that are supporting overhauling and reforming police departments.

      Reply
    • Janice says

      June 13, 2020 at 5:43 pm

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts Jo-Lynne!

      I agree it is a confusing and even frightening slogan – and there are varying levels of “defunding” that people using the term support.

      It is such a complex and painful subject and one slogan or soundbite can’t deliver the answers.

      Hopefully, the movement will still be a catalyst for radical change and a paradigm shift in policing and community support programs.

      As humans, we are all better when we can approach problems with humility and empathy. None of us has a perfect solution because I don’t there are perfect solutions. I think we need to keep listening, accepting our own limitations and prejudices, and try to advocate for equality, safety, and liberty for every human being. Cause man – as humans we get it wrong a lot!

      Reply
  6. Kristin says

    June 11, 2020 at 10:43 am

    Thank you for writing this. I feel like this may become a cultural touchstone in measuring our political candidates this election year (and maybe beyond? It’s hard to say, we don’t have long attention spans) in the U.S. And so many people tend to not do the research or drill down past headlines or sound bytes. In fact, at a Congressional hearing yesterday, the rhetoric was that “defunding the police” means there will no longer be any police at all and that means society will be a hellscape of depravity and debauchery. So this information is super helpful, and I’m grateful for it.

    Reply
    • Susan says

      June 11, 2020 at 4:01 pm

      Thank you Kristin for taking the time to share your thoughts too. I do hope more people spend a few minutes considering what is really meant by the phrase “defunding the police”. I am worried that too many people will dismiss the idea because the wording sounds shocking.

      Reply
    • Jo-Lynne Shane says

      June 12, 2020 at 6:51 am

      Ooops. I didn’t read these comments first. ☺️

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Bringing Moms Together

We are Janice and Susan, twin bloggers and work-at-home moms. We're here to inspire, encourage & empower you.

Meet Us…

Work With Us…

Subscribe via Email

to be first to read new posts

Trending Now

Raspberry Coulis – How To Make Raspberry Sauce

Raspberry Coulis – How To Make Raspberry Sauce

Among Us Costumes – How To Make Pretty DIY Among Us Cosplay Outfits

Among Us Costumes – How To Make Pretty DIY Among Us Cosplay Outfits

Oven Roasted Potatoes and Peppers Recipe

Oven Roasted Potatoes and Peppers Recipe

Instant Pot Apple Crisp that is Ready in Minutes!

Instant Pot Apple Crisp that is Ready in Minutes!

browse around

  • Posts by Susan
  • Posts by Janice
  • Favorite Recipes
  • Favorite Crafts
  • Giveaways
  • All Posts

Footer

Recipes

Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe and History

Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe and History

25 Awesome Rainbow and Green St. Patrick’s Day Treats

25 Awesome Rainbow and Green St. Patrick’s Day Treats

Easy Valentine Sugar Cookies

Easy Valentine Sugar Cookies

Crafts/DIY

Easter Egg Painting – How to Paint Easter Eggs with Acrylic Paint

Easter Egg Painting – How to Paint Easter Eggs with Acrylic Paint

DIY Flower Press – How To Press Flowers

DIY Flower Press – How To Press Flowers

Valentine’s Day Crafts For Kids – Super Cute and Easy Valentine Craft Ideas

Valentine’s Day Crafts For Kids – Super Cute and Easy Valentine Craft Ideas

Giveaways

Valentine’s Day Gifts For Mom

Valentine’s Day Gifts For Mom

School Supplies List and Back to School Shopping Guide

School Supplies List and Back to School Shopping Guide

REDEEMING LOVE Set to Strike Gold on the Big Screen #RedeemingLoveMovie

REDEEMING LOVE Set to Strike Gold on the Big Screen #RedeemingLoveMovie

Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Facebook Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Twitter Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Pinterest Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on Instagram Follow 5 Minutes For Mom on YouTube Follow 5 Minutes For Mom via RSS
  • About
  • Contact
  • Work with Us
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2023 5 Minutes for MomTheme by Melissa Rose Design and Once Coupled