'Defund The Police' Slogan Explained

The continuing protest marches calling to defund the police are more about reinvesting funds toward the resources needed by communities and not about eliminating police departments, according to Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza.

On Sunday, Garza explained what the “defund the police” slogan means and defended it as the only solution to addressing systematic issues in law enforcement. The slogan “defund the police” has been widely used during protests over police brutality following the death of George Floyd.

Garza said the slogan means reorganizing the priorities of society. “When we talk about defunding the police, what we’re saying is ‘invest in the resources that our communities need,’” she said. “Why can’t we start to look at how it is that we reorganize our priorities so people don’t have to be in the streets protesting… in a global pandemic?” she added.

She also explained that while so much of policing nowadays is directed towards issues such as homelessness, domestic violence, and drug addiction, what America needs right now is increased funding for housing, education, and quality of life of communities that are over-policed and over-surveilled.

Garza also responded to Sen. Cory Booker’s remark that while he understands the “sentiment and substance” behind the slogan, “it’s not a slogan I will use. “Are we willing to live in fear that our lives will be taken by police officers who are literally using their power in the wrong way?” she asked. “Or are we willing to adopt and absorb the fear of what it might mean to change our practices, which will ultimately lead to a better quality of life for everyone,” she added.

Meanwhile, Karen Bass, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said part of the movement is about how money is spent. Bass said that while it is not necessary to disband police departments, in cities and states, there is a need to look at how resources are spent and invest more in communities.

“Maybe this is an opportunity to re-envision public safety,” she said.