When I first heard of “abolish the police” or “defund the police” one of my initial responses was: “What does that mean exactly?” and “What about emergencies… who do we call?” and I later realized those exact questions are a part of the problem. After some research, I discovered the layered meaning behind the “defund the police” movement. I realized that the police are expected to respond to every emergency situation with inadequate training, leading them to respond inappropriately to situations and perpetuating police brutality. Defunding the police means reallocating funding away from the police department to other government agencies funded by the local municipal government that is better trained and equipped to address certain situations. I realized that defunding does not mean abolish the police altogether, instead, it means we need to uproot and remodel the entire police establishment by addressing the systemic racism rampant throughout the entire country. Some of the main arguments for defunding the police include better police law enforcement, fiscal responsibility, increased public safety, healthier communities, housing accessibility, and decreased crime. After some further research, I realized how much the United States exemplifies a control society with how much the federal government and local governments prioritize policing and military spending over education, housing, welfare programs, etc.. Some statistics I found shocking included the fact that the U.S currently spends more on prisons than it does its public schools, with 15 U.S states spending $27000 more per prisoner than they do per student. While U.S citizens make up just 4.4% of the global population, it holds almost 25% of the world’s imprisoned offenders. 99% of killings by police for the past 6 years have not resulted in any charges, proving that we need to keep police accountable for their actions. Another statistic exemplifying a shift towards social control instead of social investment is the fact that fewer people are receiving food stamps due to a dramatic increase in military spending over the years. This country began as a control society with slavery, with policing prioritized in order to keep them marginalized. Its time we shift to a social investment society by reallocating police and military spending towards healthcare, education, affordable housing, and other welfare programs that can eventually lead to a decrease in crime. What are your thoughts on defunding the police? What reform, if any, would you like to see? How is this topic related to sustainability problems? Sources: 'Defunding the police' sounds crazy! What does ‘ defund the police’ mean and does it have merit? Rashawn Ray What Defund the Police really means: replacing social control with investment- Robert Reich