To reimagine policing and end mass incarceration, we must dethrone the law enforcement lobby. New essay w/ @HeatherS_25 & Michael Campbell. @jacobinmag @samswey @ScottHech 1/ https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/07/defund-police-unions-law-enforcement-lobby

A multi-sided law enforcement lobby, made up of prison officer unions, district attorney associations, sheriffs’ associations, police chief organizations, police unions, wields inordinate political power. 2/

The LE lobby has power in numbers. Organizations pool resources, delegate tasks, and present a unified front. By joining forces, these groups often overwhelm political adversaries with less money and fewer connections. 3/

Positioning themselves as the only legit experts on crime control, they reinforce the misbelief that intensive policing, harsh sentencing laws, & incarceration are imperative to protect public safety. 4/

The LE Lobby gets policymakers to DELAY action, allowing time for public pressure to subside and lobby pressure to intensify (incl. scaring lawmakers & voters into opposing major changes). 5/

The lobby uses public shaming vs. its political opponents and colleagues who won’t fall in line. Eg., The orgs have harassed, protested, & tried to oust progressive prosecutors, especially Black women, who are committed to racial justice and reducing mass incarceration. 6/

So is the law enforcement lobby too powerful to dislodge? Recent developments suggest not. We’ve seen that disruptive politics can rapidly change the political playing field, forcing politicians to listen to people from heavily policed and imprisoned communities. 7/

By refusing to cooperate, #BLM and local activist groups like Mpls’ @BlackVisionsMN have challenged the legitimacy of the police, swayed public opinion, & forced policymakers to consider changes once seen as impossible. 8/

Policymakers need to understand that they can’t turn their backs on this uprising, and that adjourning without action is shameful—even riskier than taking on the LE Lobby. /End