Decision Making and Leadership: Our Changing Society
Protests are continuing, COVID-19 is spreading, and police are disbanding? There is a lot going on in the news lately, and it has become an effort to keep up with the restrictions, calls for change, and reforms happening around the country. Last week, we talked about the conflicts between the protests and the Coronavirus, but now we have a new element to the chaos: Police Reforms.
We are seeing that the protests and calls for change by leaders and celebrities across the nation have caught the attention of those in control of the police departments. According to CBS News, “nine out of 13 Minneapolis City Council members stood up on the stage to announce their intent to disband the city’s police department.” However, the terms “disband” or “defund” has been used in several different varieties over the last months, and, watching council members stand in front of a live audience talking about “next steps” when the public is not even aware of the most current information is the same tactic of jumping the gun that we saw play out in COVID-19: reaction without fully formed research and information. In a time of crisis, our leaders should be working to maintain stability through thought out guidance and education, not contribute to hysteria. Pretty stupid, huh? Let’s discuss a little bit more about what the terms “defund” and “dismantle” mean.
Those who are calling for the disbanding of police departments are mainly looking to transform the system rather than abolish the police force completely. This concept has been brought into the spotlight recently, but it is not the first time something like this has been done. According to U.S. News, “In 2013, the city of Camden, New Jersey, dissolved its department and recreated one to focus on more thorough training, different standards that focus less on arrests and efforts to have officers more intertwined in their communities.” Next, we move onto “defunding” the police. This term is more self-explanatory but isn’t intended to completely empty police funding. Instead, those in support are asking that the extra money that is not necessary to police departments be reallocated towards community resources, which includes housing, education, and youth programs.
While we continue to watch all of these events unfold, we wonder what’s next? After the protests conclude, coronavirus passes and the police consider reform their systems, society will progressively get used to a newer normal.
Post your thoughts below!!