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If you've been wondering what #DefundThePolice looks like in practice, @npratc has been exploring the question all week. There's no single, simple answer, but these five conversations give you some ways of thinking about scenarios that make the abstract more concrete (thread)
MONDAY: @NPRKelly looked at what it took to rebuild @camdencountypd from scratch. "We were able to create an organization wherein the identity of the officer was that of a guardian and not a warrior." https://www.npr.org/2020/06/08/872470135/new-police-force-from-scratch-n-j-city-proves-its-possible-to-reform-the-police
TUESDAY: What are police really for? @barryfriedman1 of the @nyulaw @policingproject says "A strained police force is a dangerous police force. But there's very little evidence that we have that you get better policing with more money." https://www.npr.org/2020/06/10/874340093/what-police-are-for-a-look-into-role-of-the-police-in-modern-society
WEDNESDAY: We visited CAHOOTS, a program that sends crisis experts to more than 20% of 911 calls in Eugene, OR. It costs $2m out of a $90m police budget and has never led to a serious injury or death in 30+ years. https://www.npr.org/2020/06/10/874339977/cahoots-how-social-workers-and-police-share-responsibilities-in-eugene-oregon
THURSDAY: I talked with @dereckapurnell and @avitale about what a community without police looks like. "When we look at wealthy suburban communities, we don't see police on every street corner managing the problems of those communities." https://www.npr.org/2020/06/11/875311086/defunding-the-police-what-would-it-mean-for-the-u-s
FRIDAY: What do we define as a crime? 80% of arrests and prosecutions are for low-level misdemeanors. @anatapoff asks—What if we don’t prosecute behaviors like loitering? https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/06/12/876221163/law-professor-on-how-misdemeanors-sweep-blacks-into-the-criminal-system
