I think (white) people who have an easier time viewing police as trustworthy and necessary have a hard time understanding that "abolish the police" doesn't mean "if someone murders you you're on your own"

(I guess murders someone else, because if you're murdered then...you sort of are on your own ANYWAY) it's a problem with any shorthand catchphrase, it doesn't get at the whole thing. The point is not no response to crime

The point is undoing what most other people view "police" as--inherently violent, racist, with no solidarity for their communities. The word itself has become poisoned.

It's changing what counts as a "crime." It's investing billions in education and public health. It's making sure detectives actually find rapists instead of waving off victims. It's justice that centers helping the victim, not punishing the criminal.

If someone robs my house, I don't want that person to rot in jail, even for a month. I want my stuff back, or money back for the stuff, and possibly therapy to deal with the trauma.

If something more violent happened to me or someone I love...I'm not sure what centering my needs would look like. But I do know what we have right now doesn't help victims or rehabilitate those who cause harm.

It's very "I went to Quaker school" of me but a lot of our criminal punishments don't make life any better/easier for the victims. And most victims know this, I think, and when some loudly call for jail it's because they know it's their only option for justice

I (luckily) wouldn't know firsthand, but I imagine if you gave victims the option of "this person rots in jail and you get nothing else" and "you get all these resources and support and maybe money, and we do something else with this person instead" they might choose the latter