Class, lately, particularly in response to the fatigue over the extralegal uses of force by police, there has been a lot of talk of defunding police, abolishing police, reimagining justice, etc. Is it possible to curb violence without police intervention? Please read this report (also found under the readings tab on OpenLab). After reading the article please name two findings from the report that speaks to how a future with significantly less police intervention would look like. (Please also discuss anything else that comes to mind).
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The author starts off by asking “are there ways to prevent violence without relying on the police?” “The obvious answer is “yes.”” Then stated that policing has never been the primary explanation for obviously varying levels of community safety and that wealthier communities don’t experience the extreme amount of law enforcement that people in poor communities experience.This is because the crime rates are much higher in those areas. I want to mention that in the past year alone (2020) it was the largest percentage increase in homicide in American history. Murder was up nearly 37%. Based on preliminary estimates 2000 more Americans, most of them black were killed in 2020 than in 2019. (WSJ). Many people tend to blame this outcome from the pandemic stress but fail to recall the “defund the police” narrative that was chanted across the country. Minneapolis nearly defunded their police. The local murder increase in Minneapolis alone was 72%. My question is then, who is truly going to benefit and hurt without police officers in their communities? Will it be the wealthy celebrities who stand behind us and say “yes we should abolish the police”?, the same celebrities who live in gated communities and armed private security? Or will it be those of us who live in dangerous impoverished neighborhoods? There were a number of other alternatives that were mentioned to help reduce crime such as reducing access to guns, the installation of bulletproof glass, the creation of green space, and adding security cameras and lighting. I agree with adding security and a sufficient amount of lighting in all streets. It makes it more difficult for criminals to commit crimes when seen in pure sight. I also agree with the installation of bulletproof glass in vehicles used for public transportation. This can help save lives.I’m sure every other example mentioned can reduce crime in some way but none are dealing with the issue at hand. Crime exists regardless, and lives will constantly be at stake. Without there being an external force that can be called at any time to help intervene in these neighborhoods, how will what is happening in Minneapolis be any different to what will happen to the country as a whole? Yes, there are bad cops just as there are and will continue being bad people in any business. But for the most part, there are police officers who swore by their oath to defend the defenseless and to fulfill their duties in an ethical manner. I don’t believe that the agency as a whole should perish because of the wrongdoings of some.
Hi, Arianny. I like that you included statistics from this past year regarding crime and violence. The stress of the pandemic has sent several people into doing desperate things in order to deal with stress or lack of income. Obviously the celebrities in their gated communities will not be doing much for public policy or preventing violence in the nation, but some of their voices do lead to influence and education. However, I do believe that the police institution itself does need to be redesigned as it does not benefit communities that have been continually oppressed.
No, there is not way to curb violence without police intervention. The reason for that is because once violence starts it hard to break it up. Like the article stated to reduce violence, you know need the Police, DA, people that work in many of the governmental institutions to be on board and come up with plan. I don’t think the solution is defunding the police. I believe that the system should be reshape, instead of protecting law enforcement officers the system should hold them accountable. Yes, we can’t blame every cop because there are a couple of bad ones out there but there things they (the good cops) and we could do bring awareness to the problem. Also using money to invest in a community that really needs it. In the article it stated that several cities have tried out “Green & Clean” program and have experience an estimate of 40% fewer assaults. Another thing they mentioned was reducing neighborhood foreclosures and empty places can reduce crime. Which I agree with but it would have to take more then that or the suggestion the article recommended.
Yes, violence is hard to get rid of. Supplying housing, green spaces, & financial assistance to people who live in areas with high crime rates won’t be enough to help address and prevent crime.
I semi-agree with you Keren. Its more than using the recommended suggestions in the report. Like you said, the criminal justice system needs more improvement. However, I do believe the recommendations from the report are methods to decrease violence without police intervention. That doesn’t necessarily mean I believe we don’t need police intervention. In some situation where violence is unbreakable, police officers are needed. Overall I somewhat agree you.
I can definitely see where you are coming from but there are alternatives to police. It may take some time but it will slowly make improvements to the community.
I agree with this as change is gonna come slowly but surely.
I am in full agreement with you about this matter.
Hi Keren, I agree with you that when violence starts it would be hard to stop it, and also as you said not every cop is a bad one. I also agree on that a lot of people think that every cop is bad but that’s not really true, the same as that not everyone is a criminal.
It is possible to curb violence without police intervention. The report by John Jay states, “This may be the case because evaluating family programs is relatively easy….it would be just as effective to focus on schools, neighborhood networks, communities, and the physical characteristics of communities.” This quote demonstrates that if programs are created in communities, it can keep many distracted from violence and, everyone can bond with each other. Furthermore, the report also states, “Violence reduction interventions other than policing have been successful in some places and under some conditions.” This quote also demonstrates that curbing violence without police investigation has been proven to work in some communities.
I also believe it is possible to decrease violence with police intrusion but still needed in some cases. The report mentioned different possibilities of doing so, such as improving the environment, strengthening anti-violence social norms and peer relationships, reducing substance abuse, and much more. All which have shown to be effect in some way. Overall, we need to take in to consideration what the report suggests and improve our criminal justice system.
I can understand where you are coming. However I do not think the way you do. I see the world a little differently. In my opinion there is always a need for police intervention to prevent crime.
After reading the report, I do believe it is possible to curb violence without police intervention. The report addresses numerous possibilities that can help restrain violence without police intrusion. For example, The Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design proclaims the idea that the physical design of streets and public spaces can reduce opportunities for crime. Adding green space, such as parks, planting trees, and revitalizing vacant lots is believed to reduce crime by having a neuro-therapeutic effect that reduces aggression. This helps increase residents’ feelings of safety and decreases violent crimes because green spaces make people more visible. Another method is alleviating financial stress. Chicago’s Homelessness Prevention Call Center (HPCC) helps connect families and individuals experiencing income loss with immediate financial assistance. Researchers have noted the effect on violence may be related in part to housing financial stability. After some time, researchers noticed individuals who requested assistance were 51% percent less likely to be arrested for violent crimes compared to other applicants who failed to secure help due to funding interruptions. These non-policing approaches to violence prevention can provide significant benefits without the attendant harms of policing and punishment. However, I do believe there is more stuff to improve than adding green spaces and mitigating financial stress.
I agree with you, just takes time and a group of people to start the changed.
I agree that parks, planting trees, etc. can help crime decrease. When one reflects on themself while surrounded by nature it puts them in a good state of mind.
Hey, Katherine. I agree with you that there is an absolute alternative to curbing violence without the use of the police force. I appreciate that you included the HPCC in Chicago that provides assistance to those in need… Just as we have learned in this course, crime and violence is significantly reduced when there are less means to commit the offense to begin with. Financial assistance reduces the need to commit a crime such as stealing or selling drugs in order to gain finances.
Hi Katherine, I agree with you I also think that it takes times for things to get to improve with everything.
Hello Katherine, I agree with the finding you choose since humans go acting based on feelings meaning that if they feel comfortable in an environment where there’s a lot of lighting and trees , it is unlikely for them to commit a crime since nature is accepted to lessen wrongdoing by having a neuro-restorative impact that decreases hostility
The report is full of information. I understand now why people would believe why it is possible to get rid of crime and violence without police intervention. Even though I do not agree completely with it.In my opinion I do think that police intervention is needed for crime prevention. Like every other sector there are good cops and bad cops.However we can not blame the whole policing system for few bad cops. If there is no policing people might get little less concerned about obeying the law.
I completely agree with you Saif since if we are really speaking we only see 2-5% of the work police do, social media doesn’t show how cops are helping the community, etc. Yes, there are some cops that abuse their power but I believe that law enforcement is required to keep in check the people, without cops people would feel as if they could do anything without consequences.
Ofcourse I agree as well. Some police are good there’s just a hand full that are horrible.
I don’t think that defunding the police would solve anything, Violence with police or no police still will be the same around because sometimes people really don’t care about police, they still do illegal things. As it says in the article ” Policing has never been the primary explanation for obviously varying levels of community safety. ” I definitely agree like I have said with police people will still do crazy things. But also, having police is basically like nothing because there is bad police out there. They also start violence and arrest people for no reason.
Right. Defunding the police would make no difference and if anything I feel like they would make things worse.
I agree with this due to the fact many people don’t realize crime is always gonna happen regardless if its brought down to a minimum. But I don’t think bad officers speak for all as they are officers who genially care for the communities they are protecting.
I think that’s a good point about how policing isn’t the primary explanation for different levels of community safety. Like, we can talk about increasing funding for things that decrease violence without talking about defunding the police. The trouble is when you are talking about actual government budgets, and then you have to figure out either how to raise the revenue needed, or where else to find it in the existing budget
It is feasible to control brutality without police mediation in a limited way since cops remain as an approach to hold individuals in line. The vast majority will differ with this philosophy due to how online media is portraying cops, anyway they are just seeing 2-5% of what’s really occurring since individuals have made it a standard to zero in on the terrible side of the apple and disregard the great piece of policing. Returning to how we can check viciousness without police intercession, two discoveries from the report that addresses how a future with altogether less police mediation would look like would be improving the actual climate. All in all, adding all the more light and surveillance cameras in specific territories will probably diminish the odds of wrongdoing being perpetrated at that spot since individuals would be more mindful of the results, something else would be the making of green space since nature is accepted to lessen wrongdoing by having a neuro-restorative impact that decreases hostility and makes an intriguing space for nearby occupants to gather and turn out to be more put resources into their associations with one another and their environmental factors. The second finding is Strengthen Anti-Violence Social Norms and Peer Relationships since shaping a decent connection with your neighbors and the local area generally will diminish the crime percentage in that space since they would be basically no antagonism against one another.
Areas like these are never looked into because of how high crime rates are. However that doesn’t mean the police should use violence hence what many cases are about today.
I also don’t believe that dismantling the police will fix something. Violence is bound to occur anywhere in the world. Certain measures can be taken to reduce the violence but one way or another violence is gonna keep occurring . Change is bound to happen but with the way our system is currently were gonna have to wait a while for us to achieve the change we all fight for. officers need to be viewed as humans as well instead of bringing them to state of depression that can lead to suicide. If anything i feel like certain officers aren’t given the respect they deserve or benefits.
According to the report, it is certainly possible to curb violence without police intervention. This is not to say that there is no role for police in society, but that increasing the number of police officers and patrols are not the only or even the best ways to curb violence.
The report identifies seven strategies for curbing violence without the police, but two that I would focus on are mitigating financial stress and reducing the harmful effects of the judicial process.
Seven different studies cited by the report demonstrate a reduction in violent behavior for both those given cash assistance and those who received housing subsidies, and another identifies lower rates of violence where low-skilled jobs have higher wages. While it is certainly possible for those without financial difficulty to commit violent acts, it seems intuitive both that people will commit violent acts when it will help them get access to resources necessary for living, and that people under extreme stress may lash out with violence. I support all of the kinds of actions mentioned that decreased financial stress: direct cash assistance when asked for, housing subsidies, and an increase in wages for the lowest paid workers.
There were also several studies that identified examples of how reducing the harmful effects of the judicial process could reduce violent crime in the future. Specifically, not prosecuting certain felonies, reducing punishment for marginal misdemeanors, reducing juvenile detention, and increasing procedural justice by having more people involved in the process. The results of the studies about each of these options show how once someone has been made part of the carceral state, they become more likely to progress down a path of escalating criminality, rather than having the punishments of the carceral state act as a deterrent, so it is best to avoid involving people in the carceral state when possible. It seems difficult to determine when exactly it is possible to do so, but answering that question is a key part of actually reducing violent crime, and thus reducing the number of people who are victims of violent crime, so if you care about the victims, it follows that you need to work on this as wel.