Beyond Defunding: Abolition and Federalization

The terms “socialist” and “leftist” used to send shudders through most of the American population but given poll numbers of support for the current crop of Presidential candidates these terms are no longer offensive or frightening to about half of the adult population.

Let me say at the outset here that for policy analysis purposes an informed voter should try to be as objective as possible. The ideological divide in our current political climate seems to have boiled down to two major social theories, even though there are, of course, many other flavors of thought. Reasonable people can argue for less government as well as for more government. We can toss around various ideas about the economy and have different views on abortion. All of these topics are defined differently by our Presidential team candidates.

A leftist or socialist oriented criminal justice policy, as currently focused by the Harris/Walz team, is defined by leveling as opposed to equality. I use the word leveling as opposed to the rhetorically proffered label of equity as a refinement of the concept of equality because equality of opportunity and inherent value of personhood is different from the equity concept that says everyone should be the same, have the same, and be given the same. The fear of the right’s use of law enforcement is oppression in favor of the privileged class, the fear of the left and law enforcement is the brutality of enforcing censored speech and politically correct behavior.

Given this philosophical foundation, the idea is that anything that causes one person to be at a higher or lower level than another is inherently morally wrong and must be subject to social adjustment. Further, the fact that one person seems to have fared better than another, since equity is the natural and proper state of things, that person must somehow be the direct or indirect cause of the person of lesser economic privilege.

For example, if we find that the prison population does not reflect an equal representation of citizens, then it is an inequity to be corrected. How does that happen? Get rid of the police (let’s not forget that defunding rose from the concept of abolition of police completely), or at least weaken them. Develop prosecutors who are reluctant to prosecute. Reduce criminal penalties. Release people from prison. Eliminate bail for violent offenders. Eliminate harmful labels like “terrorist” and “illegals”, and broadly define “hate speech” to include anything that does not promote diversity and inclusion.

The essential flaw in such a system is the assumption that equity is the natural order of things. Competition and achieving goals, however low or high, is the natural order of things. Debate that proposition if you want to, but enforcing socialism necessarily leads to centralized power which is antithetical to our Constitutional democratic republic.

Since abolishing local police is an idea whose time has not come, and defunding has become unpopular and disastrous in many places, what is the next best thing to do for leftist ideology to degrade the influence of the oppressive local armed government agent? What if we demonstrated to the police that they face likely criminal prosecution in the course of their duties? What if we eliminated qualified immunity in complex, unique cases where split-second, unprecedented decisions are made? What if we made law enforcement so tainted and unappealing that fewer young people would choose that career? What if we dramatically reduced or eliminated pedestrian contacts, traffic contacts, and policing in schools where positive interactions between civilians and police happen thousands of times a day?

What if we had a Presidential candidate team who endorsed defunding the LAPD? Or a candidate who suggested that the Border Patrol is like the KKK and eliminating it might be good? What if we had a candidate who encouraged violent protests by raising funds to bail out violent suspects, endorsed reduced penalties for shoplifting and drug offenses, who claimed that more police has nothing to do with public safety, and chose a Governor who delayed National Guard resources for Minneapolis as it burned, and encouraged unlawful entry into the U.S.?

What if we had an administration that dangled offers of federal grant money to local police agencies but only if they followed the restrictions in Executive Order 14074 that were handed down when the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act failed (but will likely rise again if Harris is elected)? What if increasing restrictions of local law enforcement gradually but inevitably shifted police power to the federal government where rule by Executive Order reigned?

It seems clear that policies of a Harris Presidency would be a downward spiral from even the Biden administration. Under Biden the FBI, IRS, and now the Secret Service and TSA have all accumulated credible claims of political influence in their enforcement activities. The first argument against a Trump Presidency from a public safety perspective would be that he’s a felon and an insurrectionist and therefore too morally vacuous to speak on justice. It is doubtful that his felony conviction will stand up to an appeal, as we see the other cases piled on him unraveling, and the insurrection claim hasn’t been sustained. Neither of those arguments address what policies would be in place during a second term. Whether it seems hypocritical or not, he is demonstrably pro-law enforcement.

 

 

Being Your Own First Responder

 Being Your Own First Responder

JFShults

When seconds count, the police will be there in minutes, goes the old funny/not funny saying. While police officers are fully ready to respond to calls, as a profession we pay little attention to helping people prepare for events that prompt that 911 call.

Using the emergency medical response model we note that there is wide advocacy for self-care with first aid and CPR training and other educational opportunities. Aside from reasonably robust crime-prevention efforts, few police agencies offer advice on dealing with threats that citizens may face in public or at home.

Emergency service communication personnel would be a good source for material and what citizens should know when calling 911. Citizens in crisis can’t be expected to always be level-headed on the worst day of their lives, but knowing something about the system can help them convey critical information more effectively. Callers won’t know unless peremptorily informed that services are on their way while the dispatcher is getting additional information from them. Critical seconds can be lost by callers arguing about the process.

Many citizens have not given much thought to their right to protect themselves. We obviously want them to avoid getting into legal trouble, but they have a right and responsibility to know what the law is in their jurisdiction regarding the use of force in self-defense. The same verbal de-escalation skills that we want police officers to know is good information for the citizen confronted with an angry person or one experiencing a mental health crisis or under the influence of an intoxicant. Helping citizens understand their rights, responsibilities, and liability under each jurisdiction’s prevailing statutes would be a great public service.

Overuse of 911 is problematic, but so is the number of times a call should have been made but wasn’t. Recognizing suspicious activity and reporting crime are important public safety skills. Citizens should not be reluctant to call 911 (or other non-emergency number) to help police agencies get a better picture of criminal activity. When citizens think they don’t want to bother the police or think they should call their insurance agent or Aunt Martha first, public safety suffers. Sadly, there are agencies that are so overwhelmed with priority calls that minor events add to the strain, but citizens should never be discouraged from calling anyway.

About 40% of homes have a gun in the house. There are nearly 23 million concealed carry permit holders, not counting the 44% of the population living in states where no permit is required, or open carry is mostly legal. The possession and use of a firearm carries with it great responsibility while providing a potentially life-saving tool properly utilized. Law enforcement can provide a useful resource in understanding the laws and best practices regarding firearms ownership.

Estimates vary on how frequently firearms are used in lawful self-defense depending on whether surveys count only fatal justifiable killing or include the mere presentation or threat of a firearm to stop an attack. The number could be in excess of 3 million times per year. Those who are against firearms ownership will cite murder and suicide statistics. Those concerns are good arguments for knowledge about safe firearm handling and storage, but no consolation to the car-jacking victim with no means of defense.

Traditional crime prevention efforts may suffer during police staffing shortages, but those efforts can pay dividends in the long run. Citizens can be encouraged to mark their property, take inventory, and install security hardware. Those efforts should be facilitated by local law enforcement, particularly in light of the increasing use of security cameras. Some areas offer homeowners the option of registering their cameras with their police department to expedite the discovery of evidence when crime hits their neighborhood.

Sir Robert Peel, the founder of London’s “bobbies”, famously stated that “The people are the police and the police are the people.” It has been a foundational principle often lost in modern policing. After all, it takes a village.