UNITED STATES—Los Angeles, California, and Seattle, Washington have announced their public intent on slashing their police budget.
According to nationalpolice.org, Minneapolis, Minnesota, home of massive riots and violent protests, is also moving in the direction of disbanding or defunding its police departments.
Police officers across the country have reportedly been required to work overtime, sometimes pulling 12-hour shifts without a day off during protests to keep their communities safe from harm while said communities are attempting to defund them.
The Defund the Police Campaign is a war on crime that began with Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967 and is gaining support once again as a response to the death of George Floyd of Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25, 2020.
The policeman and three of his colleagues were fired following the death of George Floyd. Riots erupted all over the U.S. in response.
An Atlanta, Georgia man, Rayshard Brooks was also fatally shot on June 12 in a struggle with a police officer in a Wendy’s parking lot. Surveillance video showed the victim, who had failed a field sobriety test, was resisting arrest and had stolen the officer’s taser. He was pointing the taser at the police officer when he was shot.
Protests in Atlanta began almost immediately. The Wendy’s restaurant was set ablaze. Protesters carried signs that said, “Defund the Police.”
People are reportedly moving out of crime-ridden cities such as Minnesota and New York in droves while officers trained to protect their communities from harm have been told to stand down.
News reports indicate that cities that wish to “defund the police,” are actually diverting funds to address community needs such as homelessness.
twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1272938762985771010
“We’re not defunding the police. If anything, we’re going the other route: We’re going to make sure our police are well trained, perfectly trained, and have the best equipment,” President Trump said.
President Trump put his words into action on Monday, June 16, when he signed an executive order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities. President Trump acknowledged that there have been instances in which some officers misused their authority, “challenging the trust of the American people,” the President said when he announced the new order. Police departments will be required to follow more stringent guidelines. Programs aimed at developing/improving relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve will also be put in place. More information may be found on the White House web page at the link below.
whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order/safe-policing-safe-communities/
CDL Life and Bikers for 45 are two large groups who have rallied in favor of the men in blue.
CDL Life News reports that seventy-seven percent of truckers say they will not deliver freight to cities that have defunded their police departments. Truck drivers cited safety concerns as their reason.
