Do you believe that policing in America (overall) is fairly practised against all Americans, regardless of their race, ethnicity, class or other inherent characteristics?

Question

Instructions

PART II: THE DEBATE OVER DEFUNDING THE POLICE

All people deserve to feel safe in their homes, communities, and country. Safety is a civil and human right without which people cannot thrive and democracy cannot function. But our nation’s approach to public safety -- and whom it protects -- is also an important civil rights concern. Many point out that our county has a troubled history of policing. From early slave patrols to the modern-day criminalization of people of color, they argue that policing in America disproportionately targets and discriminates against racial and ethnic minorities and those who live in poor communities. 

In the aftermath of several high-profile incidents, most importantly the death of George Floyd in 2020, calls for "defunding the police" have emerged, and have ignited a debate over the appropriate role of law enforcement in American society. Some desire the literal abolition of police departments, while others see "defunding" as something less ambitious: to shift funding and functions away from police departments to other government entities. Opponents see the movement to defund as misguided and dangerous, arguing that it will lead to more crime and disorder in their communities. Juxtaposing freedom, order, and equality is at the heart of this debate, and is yet another fundamental dilemma of the American government.

In this assignment, you will research and analyze how "defunding the police" can mean different things to different people, the pros and cons of "defunding," and available data and polls related to the subject.  Based on your research, you will be required to explain and defend your position on this important issue.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/watch-live-what-is-the-defund-the-police-movement-answering-your-questions

Watch the videos and reading the transcripts of this debate on the subject hosted by the 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-common-ground-between-law-enforcement-and-activists-call-to-defund-the-police

A very informative and easy-to-read list of the pros and cons associated with the issue can be found at Britannica's  

https://www.procon.org/headlines/defund-the-police-top-3-pros-and-cons/

The PBS News Hour hosted yet another debate on the subject, this time exploring the common ground between advocates and opponents to the movement. It provides a good start to researching possible reforms which address might address the concerns on both sides of this debate.  Click on this link (Links to an external site.) to access the video and transcript of this informative debate. 

Data and Polls on the Subject: 

Scientific American (Links to an external site.) published an article summarizing the data collected by a variety of sources on crime, shootings by police, and shootings of police officers.  The article also highlights the dearth of data on this issue and the differences in methods and interpretations associated with compiling this data.

Results of a public opinion survey (Links to an external site.) (poll) conducted by USAToday/Ipsos provides a snapshot of public views on crime, policing, and police reform as of July, 2001. 

Find and Save Two Articles:

My articles

for

https://www.afsc.org/blogs/news-and-commentary/6-reasons-why-its-time-to-defund-police

against

 https://nationalpolicesupportfund.com/3-reasons-why-defunding-the-police-is-a-bad-idea/ 

After reviewing the information presented in the sources linked above, conduct your own research. 

As you research the issue, consider your responses to the questions listed below (under WRITE) and determine your position.

WRITE: Write a well-developed essay, no less than 500 words in length (or typically just over two full pages) which addresses the following questions: (65 points)

* Based on the statistics presented above or through your own research, do you believe that policing in America (overall) is fairly practiced against all Americans, regardless of their race, ethnicity, class or other inherent characteristics?  Why or why not? (Personally, no I don't believe that policing in America is fairly practiced against all Americans.) 

* What is your position on the defunding debate? Should police departments have some or all of their funding transferred to other sources?  ( I AM FOR DEFUNDING THE POLICE IF IT MEANs REBUILDING THE POLICING SYSTEM. )

 If so, how do envision this would work, and how would you defend your position against those who argue this would  leave society at risk for higher crime and disorder? 

If you disagree with defunding the police in any capacity, how do you envision the best way to establish a police force which would minimize violent encounters between police and the citizenry, while also ensuring that when force may be necessary it is not unfairly targeted toward individuals or groups based on their inherent characteristics? 

* Are there any other strategies that you are aware of or support that would not involve defunding the police, but which would improve policing in America and protect the civil rights of all citizens? 

(making cops more accountable for their actions, many officers get away with a lot (murder) and its easy to cover up, we need to take out the dirty cops. )

* Copy and paste the links to the two articles you found as part of your research to the end of your essay. 

FORMAT AND SUBMISSION: Your essay for this part of the assignment should be no less than 500 words in length (longer is acceptable), typed, double-spaced, using one inch margins.  Make certain to copy and paste the links to the two articles you researched to the end of your essay.  Submit your essay and links using the "Submit Assignment" tab at the top of this page.