The police abolition movement is a political movement, mostly active in the United States, that advocates replacing policing with other systems of public safety.[1] Police abolitionists believe that policing, as a system, is inherently flawed and cannot be reformed—a view that rejects the ideology of police reformists.[2][3] While reformists seek to address the ways in which policing occurs, abolitionists seek to transform policing altogether through a process of disbanding, disempowering, and disarming the police.[4] Abolitionists argue that the institution of policing is deeply rooted in a history of white supremacy and settler colonialism and that it is inseparable from a pre-existing racial capitalist order, and thus believe a reformist approach to policing will always fail.[5][6][7][8]
Police abolition is a process that requires communities to create alternatives to policing. This process involves the deconstruction of the preconceived understandings of policing and resisting co-option by reformists. It also involves engaging in and supporting practices that reduce police power and legitimacy, such as defunding the police.[4][9][10]
In the George Floyd protests and riots, Black Lives Matter and other activists used the phrase "defund the police". The defunding movement advocates reducing police department budgets or the delegation of certain police responsibilities to other organizations.[11][12][13][14] Some activists have proposed the diversion of police funds to social services, such as youth or housing services.[2][15][16] Despite exceptions,[17] advocates for defunding the police rarely call for outright abolition of police.[18]
Police abolition has been criticized by many sociologists, criminologists, journalists, and politicians.[19][20][21][22]
^Metz, Nina (June 3, 2020). "Commentary: Instead of more cop shows, what if networks greenlit shows that tried to explore police abolition?". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
^ abDukmasova, Maya (June 1, 2020). "Police abolitionists find fuel in the protests". Chicago Reader. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
^Illing, Sean (June 12, 2020). "The "abolish the police" movement, explained by 7 scholars and activists". Vox. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
^ abMcDowell, Meghan G.; Fernandez, Luis A. (July 20, 2018). "'Disband, Disempower, and Disarm': Amplifying the Theory and Practice of Police Abolition". Critical Criminology. 26 (3): 373–391. doi:10.1007/s10612-018-9400-4. S2CID 149624069 – via Springer.
^Dozier, Deshonay (August 9, 2018). "A Response to Abolitionist Planning: There is No Room for 'Planners' in the Movement for Abolition". Planners Network.
^Kaba, Mariame; Duda, John (November 9, 2017). "Towards the horizon of abolition: A conversation with Mariame Kaba". The Next System Project.
^Kappeler, Victor E.; Gaines, Larry K. (2012). Community Policing: A Contemporary Perspective. Elsevier. pp. 61–62. ISBN 9781455728503.
^Briond, Joshua (June 6, 2020). "Understanding the Role of Police Towards Abolitionism: On Black Death as an American Necessity, Abolition, Non-Violence, and Whiteness". Hampton Institute.
^Donnella, Leah (June 3, 2020). "How Much Do We Need The Police?". NPR. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
^Dukmasova, Maya (August 25, 2016). "Abolish the police? Organizers say it's less crazy than it sounds". Chicago Reader. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
^Villa, Lissandra (June 7, 2020). "Why Protesters Want to Defund Police Departments". Time. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
^"#DefundThePolice". BlackLivesMatter.com. May 30, 2020.
^Schuster, Hannah (June 7, 2020). "Activists Added 'Defund The Police' To The New Black Lives Matter Mural. So Far, D.C. Officials Have Let It Stay". DCist. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
^Yglesias, Matthew (June 3, 2020). "Growing calls to 'defund the police,' explained". Vox. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
^Pauly, Madison. "Police Abolition 101: What a world without cops would look like". Mother Jones. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
^Arnold, Amanda (June 12, 2020). "What Exactly Does It Mean to Defund the Police?". The Cut. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
^"Yes, We Mean Literally Abolish the Police". The New York Times. June 12, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2022. People like me who want to abolish prisons and police
^"The continuing GOP fiction that President Biden supports defunding police". Washington Post. 2021. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
^Cite error: The named reference sharkey was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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^Cite error: The named reference vox was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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