test Defund Police Debate - Munk Debates

Defund Police Debate

July 7, 2020
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Defund Police Debate

Be it resolved, it is time to defund police and reimagine public safety in our communities.

It took a white police officer 8 minutes and 46 seconds to kill George Floyd – and not much longer to spark the largest anti-racism protests in the U.S. and around the world since the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Protestors have started to focus their fury on a specific call to action: they say the time has come to defund the police. For many this means abolishing outright an institution that they see as rooted in centuries of racism and that has proven impossible to reform. They argue that the best way to make neighborhoods safe is to redirect large portions of existing policing budgets to social services focusing on poverty alleviation, mental health, public housing, and substance abuse. Defunding critics argue that police were, now, and will be essential in preserving the peace in society. Supporters of the police believe the vast majority of officers make positive and lasting contributions to the security and wellbeing of the communities they serve.

“I cannot continue to legitimize a system where, every year or two, I have to write an apology for another person who has been awfully and horrifically murdered for no reason.”

– Alondra Cano 

“Policing is necessary in a civilized society, but it’s also necessary that we do it right.”

– Retired Deputy Chief Wayne Harris

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