Defund the Police

Police are an inherently violent institution whose existence is overwhelmingly based on the criminalization of racialized, queer, and poor bodies. In terms of the function they claim to provide in protecting communities, they are actually primarily reactive force, who arrive after crime is committed and rarely provide resolution or justice. Even as a white women, every time I have interacted with police as a victim of a crime I have been treated with suspicion, accused of lying, victim blamed and ultimately the crimes where never "solved".

The money currently allocated to police would be much better spent in community supports and care that are proven to reduce crime, such as education, housing, and employment programs, or towards health care to create healthy vibrant communities. Resources should be allocated to communities to create their own solutions for care and accountability since simply replacing the functions of police with other white colonial agents such as social workers can still result in harm and violence against marginalized people.