When I first started seeing #DefundthePolice on social media, I admit that I was really unsure what it meant. Of course, I could assume it was related to wanting to end policy brutality, but several questions ran through my mind. Is this supposed to mean the end of police funding all together? And if so, what would go in its place? Was there a need for police? What would our community look like without police? I found myself questioning what roles police play in our community. Does their helpfulness outweigh the very real harm that black and brown people experience far too often in their encounters with police? What have been my perceptions and expectations of police? How has all of that been shaped by my experiences or privilege?
I also struggled with the general simplicity of the message. Issues of social and racial justice are infinitely more complex and there are rarely easy sentences, hashtags, or solutions to our society’s deepest problems. While hashtags can be powerful and help unite us, their simplicity can also invite misrepresentation, distortion, or deflection of the real issues at hand. Since #DefundthePolice started, there have been several political ads using fear tactics and strategies to turn a multi-faceted issue into a binary agree/disagree, either/or debate (Also note that either/or thinking is a characteristic of white supremacy culture). All of this hinders our ability to think critically.
Just this week, I saw headlines about Seattle’s City Council cutting the police budget, and I was reminded again about the challenge with reading just a headline or hashtag. While the headline implied Seattle had defunded the police, upon further reading, the details revealed very different truths with so much more to sort through in order to truly understand the potential impact (for better or worse) for our community.
As my mind continued to swirl with thoughts and questions, I revisited an earlier post from a life-long friend about this exact issue. It resonated deeply with me and articulates so beautifully ideas for rethinking policing. What I appreciate the most is that he invites deeper thinking and more conversation on specific aspects and considerations of policing. He also acknowledges the challenge with language and how the words we choose can bring us together in dialogue or keep us apart. He has given permission for me to share and has also asked to remain anonymous. So, here, without editing or additions, I share his thoughts on shifting from #DefundthePolice to #ReimaginethePolice.
We both hope this sparks more reflection and brave conversations about this immensely complex issue. I look forward to hearing your perspectives, questions, and wonderings.
There is a lot of talk about defunding the Police, and the “defund” part can be a lot to swallow. Some mean it figuratively, some mean it literally. My worry is that there are many who, like me, hear the phrase “defund the police” and instantly react with “no.” And when you are trying to convince someone to come around to your way of thinking, you probably don’t want them immediately hostile to your premise.
I would like to put forth an alternative phrase: “Reimagine the Police.” When you invite people to reimagine, their first response is “in what way?” or “how?” You’re now having a conversation that can involve give and take, a meeting of minds.
What #ReimagineThePolice means to me:
1. What if you have a friend who uses, and you’re worried they may be near an over-dose. If you call the police, armed officers will arrive, and they may arrest your friend, or even you. That arrest could mean jail, a lifetime felony charge, the inability to vote, or to own a home ever again. And there is no guarantee your friend will get the help they need.
Now imagine instead of armed officers arriving, a Narcotics Anonymous Sponsor shows up along with trained medical professionals, whose only interest is to make sure your friend lives through the night. The Sponsor is someone who is there for your friend, and willing to help them walk the path to recovery. Someone who has helped dozens of others do the same. Someone who knows that humans aren’t perfect, that relapses can happen, and that the best place for your friend isn’t prison. That’s #ReimaginethePolice
2. What if you see a homeless person making a campsite in a public park, or on the street near your home or office. You understand that difficult times can fall on anyone, but that person may have undiagnosed mental or emotional issues, and you don’t want to learn the hard way if that is the case. If you call the police, armed officers will arrive, and will either force the person to move to another block, or arrest them. Neither of those actions get the person the help they need to get back on their feet.
Now imagine instead of armed officers arriving, a representative for a nearby long term shelter shows up. Someone who can offer a safe, warm place to sleep, and who has seen enough psychologically compromised people to know when cases would be better referred to trained psychologists. This representative’s goal is to ensure no one in the population dies out in the cold or the rain, and works at a location with individual rooms, locking doors, and measure to ensure that the financially vulnerable are not themselves victimized in their sleep. The sponsor works with the local battered women’s organization, and can refer anyone to narcotics programs, which also offer safe places to sleep. That’s #ReimagineThePolice
3. What if you or a friend is sexually assaulted. If you call the police, armed officers will arrive to take your statement, and enter you into the system, where you and your life are little more than a number. Worse, they may ask what YOU did to provoke this, or decide there is not enough evidence to even try.
Now imagine instead of armed officers arriving, a counselor, of your preferred gender, arrives, willing to hear what you need to say, and willing to listen. This counselor, with years of experience in victim advocacy, records those portions you want recorded, and simply listens to those portions you can’t bear to have written down. The counselor’s job is to be your advocate, and to advise you of your options going forward, including legal, civil, medical, and psychological. They know that you may not be able to process everything right now, and this needs to progress at your pace. But most importantly, they’re there to let you know that there is a tomorrow, that you don’t need to spend the rest of your life right here, in this moment, reliving it. Come what may, they’re here to try to help you become whole again, whatever that means for you. That’s #ReimaginethePolice
4. What if you hear a noise in the night, a broken window, or a falling object, and you’re afraid there’s someone in the house. So you call 911. Imagine that officers arrive armed, with tasers, pepper spray, and yes, guns. They arrive within minutes, loudly announce their presence, and are there to protect and serve you. They can arrive so quickly because they are no longer tasked with arresting drug users, arresting homeless people, or issuing traffic tickets. Their role as armed enforcers of the law is to go to situations where people need protection, need armed officers to come and assure them of their safety, to address those who have taken destructive or violent action, and a violent response may be warranted. They’ve been trained in de-escalation, non-violent rescue, safe weapons use, and are specialists in these tasks. Since other aspects of the job have been taken off their plate, they can focus on those scenarios where an armed officer of the law is the BEST choice. That’s #ReimaginethePolice
If you agree with what you’ve read above, please feel free to reuse any or all of what I’ve said. Or put in your own examples. That’s the point. This is a conversation, and I invite you to join in
