Overview
#DefundThePolice emerged from abolitionist movements demanding reallocation of police budgets to social services, exploding nationally during the 2020 George Floyd protests.
Origins (2014-2016)
Ferguson Era
- First appeared during Ferguson uprising (August 2014)
- Black Lives Matter organizers questioned police funding
- “Police don’t keep us safe” analysis
- Remained fringe, dismissed as radical
Abolitionist Roots
- Critical Resistance, Mariame Kaba, Angela Davis
- Police abolition long-standing Black radical tradition
- Argued: Police evolved from slave patrols, inherently anti-Black
May-June 2020: National Explosion
George Floyd Murder
- May 25, 2020: Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin killed Floyd (9 minutes, 29 seconds kneeling on neck)
- Protests erupted in 2,000+ U.S. cities, 60+ countries
- Minneapolis 3rd Precinct burned down
”Defund” Goes Mainstream
- Week of May 25-31: #DefundThePolice used 1.5M+ times
- City council members, celebrities, athletes endorsed
- Polled at 20-30% national support (higher among young, Black Americans)
What “Defund” Means
Not Abolition (For Most)
- Reallocate police budgets to:
- Mental health crisis response
- Affordable housing
- Youth programs, education
- Violence interruption programs
- “Divest from police, invest in communities”
Abolition (For Some)
- Completely dismantle police, prisons
- Community-based safety, restorative justice
- Mariame Kaba: “Yes, we mean literally abolish the police”
Spectrum of Demands
- 8 Can’t Wait: Police reforms (bans on chokeholds, etc.)
- Moderate Defund: Cut budgets 10-30%, redirect to services
- Abolition: Phase out police entirely over time
2020 Summer: City Actions
Minneapolis
- City Council pledged to dismantle police department (June 7, 2020)
- Vowed to replace with “community-led public safety”
- Backlash: violent crime spiked, ballot measure failed (2021)
- Eventually increased police funding
Other Cities
- Los Angeles: Cut $150M from LAPD ($1.8B budget)
- New York: $1B cut from NYPD ($6B budget)
- Seattle: Defunded by 18%, then reversed
- Austin: Cut $150M, reversed after crime spike
- Portland: $15M cut, ongoing battles
Backlash & Reversal
”Law and Order” Response
- Trump: “Democrats want to abolish police”
- Fox News ran 24/7 crime coverage
- Moderate Democrats distanced: “That’s not our position”
- Biden: “Don’t defund the police, fund them”
2021-2023: Refunding Police
- Violent crime rose in many cities (though still below pre-2014 levels)
- Progressive mayors reversed cuts
- New police budgets reached record highs by 2022
- “Defund” became political liability
Evidence & Debate
What Spending Looks Like
- Police typically consume 30-60% of city budgets
- Mental health, housing, youth programs often <10% combined
- Military-grade equipment via 1033 program
Alternative Models
- Eugene, OR CAHOOTS: Mental health responders, not cops (30+ years)
- Violence Interrupters: Cure Violence model (Chicago, Oakland)
- Restorative Justice: Replace punitive with healing approaches
Research
- More police ≠ less crime (studies mixed, correlation weak)
- Social investment reduces crime more effectively
- Police solve <50% of violent crimes, <20% of property crimes
Criticisms
From Law Enforcement
- “Who do you call when someone’s breaking in?”
- Claimed demoralized cops led to resignations, crime spikes
- Unions fought budget cuts aggressively
From Black Community
- Some supported, some opposed
- Older Black residents often wanted more police (experienced crime directly)
- Young activists: “Police don’t make us safer”
- Class divide: Working-class vs. middle-class Black views
Messaging Problem
- “Defund” polled terribly
- Many supporters wished for different slogan
- Allowed opponents to define as “abolish, chaos”
- Advocates: “Slogan worked — forced conversation”
Intersections
Prison Abolition
- #DefundThePolice + #AbolishPrisons linked
- Both view carceral system as anti-Black, ineffective
- Advocated for transformative justice
Healthcare as Public Safety
- Mental health crisis responders, not cops
- Addiction treatment, not incarceration
- “Cops aren’t trained for welfare checks, mental health”
Housing & Economic Justice
- Homelessness criminalized, enforced by police
- Poverty policed via fines, fees, warrants
- “Defund police, fund housing” argument
2022-2024: Where It Stands
Political Reality
- Federal “George Floyd Justice in Policing Act” failed Senate
- Most cities restored or increased police budgets
- Some alternative programs funded (crisis responders, violence interrupters)
- Slogan politically toxic for Democrats
Grassroots Persistence
- Abolitionists continue organizing locally
- Mutual aid, copwatch, community safety projects
- Police still killed 1,000+ people/year 2020-2024
Cultural Shift
- Mainstream recognition that police aren’t solution to all problems
- Mental health responders in some cities
- Qualified immunity debate entered mainstream
Key Voices
- Mariame Kaba: Abolitionist organizer, author of “We Do This ‘Til We Free Us”
- Angela Davis: Long-time prison abolitionist
- Alex Vitale: “The End of Policing” author
- Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi: BLM founders