The remarkable folly of ‘defund the police’

On September 9, 1919, after an overwhelming vote by officers in favor of striking the day before, nearly 80% of the Boston Police Department walked off the job. When the dust settled after four days, nine people were dead and untold damage had been done to the city as criminals took advantage of a city free of police.

A century later, calls to abolish or defund the police, absurd as they may be, are gaining traction.

Even elected leaders are beginning to jump onboard. Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender recently said on CNN, “I think the idea of having a police-free future is very aspirational, and I am willing to stand with community members who are asking us to think of that as the goal.”

The desire for a police-free society reflects a misunderstanding of both the societal benefit of policing and the actual desires of the communities that Ms. Bender claims to be standing with.

Continue reading the entire piece here in Kentucky Today