I don't actually think that slashing the police's budget to ribbons is going to harm their ability to do their jobs. The police still have numbers and a bunch of guns either way, and you don't need more than that to deal with domestic threats unless you believe that an organized legion of 2nd Amendment rednecks are going to strike en masse with AR-15s.
What happens in the interim period if police forces are abolished in total?
One of the problems with the way the police operate in the US is the fact that more people are armed in the US than anywhere else in the world. Every incident has to approached as if the suspect is armed. Every encounter is potentially dangerous. Seems like a high stress job to me. So much so, that you wonder why anyone would want to be a police officer to begin with.
I've read arguments, particularly on RE, where they suggest getting rid of police pensions and other things. It comes across as punishment to all police officers for the actions of a few. I will say, I am not suggesting there shouldn't be some kind of reform, but the sort of extrapolation that is happening I can see backfiring badly. And I say that because policing in the US is not an easy job to begin with.
It's the actions of the vast majority though, not a few. The organization is the problem, so I don't mind being a little punitive.
This may or may not be true. One thing I notice though is a lot of assertions are being made. Look, the way I see it, if you start punishing the police by reducing their wages and removing their pension, there are inevitably going to be many police officers who feel they are unfairly being made culpable for the actions of a few police officers. And I can see that backfiring badly. And you don't want police officers who feel their safety is being compromised as a result of drastic defunding.
And what, they'll start wilding out and brutalizing people on the job? I want those people off the force. Cops can make do without massive funding and those who feel they need bearcats and soundwave cannons to feel safe protecting their community can go work somewhere that's easier on their nerves rather than be in charge of people's lives.
I mean, as I said before, who the fuck wants to be a police officer anyway? That job could become increasingly unattractive over coming months and years. What needs to happen is reform, and that reform should come in the form of better practices and procedures that ensure police officers operate within the law. What it shouldn't come as is a form of retribution. You want the police on your side on this.
I don't really have a problem with policing being an unattractive job. I'm not saying start paying them minimum wage (it should pay really damn well), but it's long hours of dangerous work that you do in the name of the community that's paying your check, and now ideally you will be held accountable for your behaviour through your body cam. it's inherently unattractive. If people become afraid to join the police force because they're afraid of things like not being able to launch explosives at terrorist antifa mobs, or being held accountable, then that's a win for the community.
The police are going to be on the side of the public whether they like it or not; if they aren't then it only strengthens the case for dramatic reform. There's no win condition for them if they say "cut my funding and I'll just start shooting whoever the fuck", we've already hit that point.
