Defund Police x More Crime = Pikachu face

You fall into the category of people who misunderstand what we mean by "defund the police". I'm not trying to insult you or anything, it's just that because of the way it's worded, many people get scared that we actually want to pull large sums of money from the police, understandably so.

See, when people say "defund the police", they just mean they want the system to be changed so that there are stricter laws regarding police brutality, not that they think that there should be absolutely no police force.

Never be afraid of giving offense... it's something that can only be taken regardless of what you say or reason for saying it. Just say what you mean in a reasonable way and let the chips fall where they may knowing that you're in the right. You and me are cool... I haven't taken offense.

I may have misunderstood the meaning of Defund the Police slogan; it's possible. However, some cities - large cities with relatively high crime rates at the best of times - have actually already reduced the funding to their Police Departments by millions under the banner of Defund the Police. This not only reduces the quality/quantity of gear that can be purchased to protect those in their respective communities that need protection but it also reduces the amount that can be spent on training. This leads to under equipped and barely trained Police. Which leads to a rookie thinking her service pistol was her taser (actually happened).

Maybe if the goal was Police Reform, the slogan should be "Reform the Police"? I think that those in my category that misunderstand the slogan misunderstand it because of the elected officials and city counsels that are currently defunding their police... which means that those elected officials and city counsels must misunderstand it too... which seems odd.

Glad to know you understand what I mean, I've talked to many people on this website who hear me say anything and think it's a personal attack on them.

Actually defunding the police may not be the best idea, to be frank, as we could be putting that police money toward better training and seminars for police officers on when and when not to shoot at a potential suspect. I have to agree with you that we shouldn't take too much money from the police, though our government also puts so much money into the police force and military instead of other, more important causes, like taking care of the homeless, which should be the job of the government and not individual organizations. I don't think we should actively take money away from the police force, I just think we should shave off some of its funding to help with more important causes.

Also, yes, I do think "reform the police" would be a better slogan.

People these days are too quick to assume to worse and easily angered over dumb stuff. So long as we have people who can have a conversation without breaking down into tears, there's still a chance to pull out of this nose dive.

It may be more of a time commitment than you're able to afford but it could be worth it for you to find out what the Police academy trains its trainees. There are outreach programs that afford anyone the opportunity to audit some of the training. I think you might be surprised at what is taught and, depending on the training and if you're able to participate, what an intense interpersonal encounter is like. There's a video or two floating around about a journalist who did just that... Google/YouTube "Police training simulator" and you should find something, if you're interested.