Abolish the police?

A government with no way of enforcing its laws is also known as "worthless".

That sounds wicked retarded. I honestly like most police officers, but I hate, and despise those who would abuse their power.

Fox "News" and its ilk like to say or imply that defunding the police is the same as abolishing the police. They do that because it pushes the fear buttons of their viewers who are terrified of any social change and constantly on the borderline of hysterical.

The reality is that, apart from a few on the anarchist fringe, most of those promoting defunding aren't so stupid that they want to completely get rid of the police.

Defunding doesn't have any single definition, but one of the key ideas behind it is that the cops shouldn't be expected to deal with every social problem as they currently are. Homelessness, substance abuse, domestic conflict and mental illness are not issues best dealt with by the police and the criminal justice system, but America has slipped into a position where armed cops are called on to do just that - often because budget restrictions due to the constant worship of low tax rates means there are no alternative agencies available.

Many of those supporting defunding also think there's something fundamentally wrong with a supposedly democratic country providing vast quantities of redundant military hardware to the police, so they roll up on peaceful demonstrations looking like an occupying army.

No you will have anarchy because nobody is going to step up to protect you. You better get a gun and learn how to use it.

That's not what defunding means. Quit fearmongering and spreading ignorance.

No, what would happen is the force would become privatised. And that will end in up being far, far worse.

What they are talking about is replacing the current system and organizations that are doing the current police functions. That way they not only eliminate the bad characters; but, also the current situation where the Union often controls the disciplinary process via their contract (and most unions will fight to support the most obviously corrupt cops).

It has been done several times. A new city department created, with different standards and methods, and most of the old department does not get hired into the new one (The largest city I am aware that did this was I think Camden NJ, and only about 25% of former police officers were hired into the new department.

That totally changed the culture and effectiveness of the city police in very positive fashions.

Keep in mind that the primary function of the police is to investigate crime. That still needs to be done. What else they need to do is open to a wide variety of possibilities.

I am of the opinion that something like this needs to be done in many cities and counties in the USA.

What is the real function of the police - and what should they be doing, and not doing.

Certainly, they should not be "licensed thugs" who largely believe that they are above most ordinary laws. There have been too many examples of that.

Look I might be the first to say it but George Lloyd was no saint!
To remove all Police would be an open charter for crooks.
Cor blimey yanks get some common!

Complete abolition of law enforcement is naïve and unrealistic. Most of the actual proposals I’ve seen basically replace municipal police departments with the county sheriff’s office.

Nobody is seriously looking to have zero enforcement of laws that make sense, I think the whole system we have in place now is so corrupt there's no way to salvage it.

What seems to be happening a lot of places is the cops are allowing the rioting to happen while they try to break up protests. Which seems in line with the whole "If you think there's anything wrong with what we do then we aren't going to help you" mentallity that they have.

Letting a government-sanctioned gang patrol streets with zero accountability isn't keeping people safe.

comin straight out the underground

Abolishing the police is an extremely dangerous thing to do...

What you need to do, and this is the logistical nightmare, is to make sure that every member of the police force has an extensive background check and ensure that ANYONE who is found to have used excessive force when it was not necessary is removed from their job as swiftly as possible and banned from returning.

The vast majority of the police force joined because they wanted to serve and protect their communities. They don't want the public to be scared of them, they want you to come to them when you are scared.

So stupid. We see what happens when police leave shit places like St. Louis and Baltimore. Those communities are horrible. Imagine what lawlessness smart people will do in healthy communities. No thank you.

I like my neighbor’s house, so I’m just gonna walk in and say that it’s mine now.

police officers should be severely punished for abusing their powers.

Yes

Police are absolutely necessary in high-crime areas, something that rich white keyboard warriors wouldn't understand because they're too chickenshit to step out of their parents' attic and live life in the slums.

Just because of some bad apples, the entire police should be abolished? It's not like every single one of them is corrupted. That's fucking retarded...

Reform, yes. Total abolishment, no way.

Does anyone seriously think the world would be a better place if there were no law enforcement?

Do they not 'get' human nature, or something?
People can't 'just all get along'.

Sad fact of the matter is that law is necessary and that people will contravene it given the opportunity, no matter what colour they are.

Damn, imagine the anarchy that would ensue. A small, dark, slightly insane place in me wishes it would happen just to see what it'd be like.

If the police are abolished then the authority goes to whichever gang manages to kill or scare off all the others. And there won't be any protests for murders then, they'll be forcing you to murder and pimp and deal drugs for them. You might not want to admit it, but your comfort and safety are due to the police officers existing and doing a good job. I'm not saying that there isn't a foundation of racism within the police that needs to be sorted out, but to abolish the police would be the first step to the apocalypse.

I dont really care what they do in their little city. Just dont bring it to my area. It would be funny to witness if they did do this there, because I believe in less than a month they will he begging the police to come back. Murders, rapes, robbery will fly through the roof.