Defund Police

Surging violence has led to a 28% increase in homicides. So far this year, 161 lives have been lost, compared to 126 this time last year. Councilman Trayon White opposed the Mayor's bids to hire more police officers just last summer, as he favored community violence intervention programs.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, a progressive Democrat linked to George Soros, plans to hire 250 new police officers amid a reelection campaign after homicides surged 58% in 2020.

Howard Lichtman says that rejecting enforcement of victimless crimes unites the police with the people against the politicians. He says police can regain respect by focusing on the five main transgressions that create victims: murder, rape, assault, theft and trespass, instead of fighting victimless crimes.

The police department's $400 million budget was cut by about $3 million. Council member Kshama Sawant was the sole "no" vote because she felt the proposals didn't go far enough. Riots broke out and Amazon, Whole Foods, and a Chase Bank were vandalized. Police Chief Carmen Best has resigned from her position.

The reality is that there is more crime in minority neighborhoods, more need for police intervention, and more exposure to the possibility of excessive violence. The disintegration of support for police is a crushing blow particularly to those living in black communities where crime rates are soaring.

An 8-minute police-body-cam video of the George Floyd arrest reveals he was incoherent and continuously resisted arrest. His autopsy showed he had three-times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system, which would have killed him of a heart attack even if he had not been arrested.

The United Teachers Los Angeles claims that that the re-opening of schools cannot occur without substantial policy provisions in place, including a "moratorium" on charter schools, defunding of police, federal Medicare-for-All, state taxes on wealthy people, and a "federal bailout" of the school district.

There was another shooting in the CHAZ/CHOP “autonomous zone” of Seattle at 3 AM on Monday morning. It is the fifth shooting since rioters took over the area. Two young black males were shot. One is dead and the other is in critical condition.

The New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio shifted $1-billion from the budget of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to programs that assist in youth and community development, despite a surge in shootings in the wake of protests and violent unrest sparked by the death of George Floyd.

Under their plan, the police department will be replaced with a department of community safety and violence prevention that will be staffed with people who lack law enforcement experience but will include approaches that will implement the demands of the communist-led rioters and destroyers.