“Defunding police” is punitive but not to law enforcement, it’s punitive to Americans who rely upon law enforcement to manage crime in our neighborhoods. What is the point and what is the goal of “defunding police”? If the answer provided is “because use of force violations” then how is this corrected by lowering the annual operational budget? How is this going to change law enforcement culture?

It doesn’t. How can it? It’s not like taking away a kid’s weekly allowance for pulling on a cat’s tail. Think.

Do what I did for mental health peers who suffered extreme abuse at the whim of violent cops. Take four years of your life to train other peers and law enforcement how to ds-escalate mental health crisis encounters. Encourage city government to reallocate law enforcement funds to a new agency specially tasked for mental health crisis calls. Work on standard operating procedures addressing use of force. And even when unpopular, do everything necessary to make these efforts positive and productive.

This changes things.

“Defunding police” does nothing. How can it? Think.

By the by, I know a lot about use of force violations, including an officer holding my head down with his foot while I was experiencing severe mania symptoms. I’m not a huge fan of cops and can still be triggered by a cop’s presence, if the mood strikes me just right.

And, I continue to be uncertain what “defunding police” means at all. Take away fuel allocations for vehicles? Cut academy training and continuing education? Decrease the number of officers in the field? Just what does “defunding police” mean at all?