What does it mean to defund the police?

The Black Lives Matter protests in the US, which escalated in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, have brought the little-known but decades-old campaign to abolish US police into the spotlight. But what are abolitionists calling for, and how would a police-free society work? Josh Toussaint-Strauss explores the arguments for abolition with a campaigner from MPD150 and Reclaim the Block, and also Sam Levin, LA correspondent for Guardian US Subscribe to The Guardian on YouTube ► https://ift.tt/16bR3Lu Support the Guardian ► https://ift.tt/2VEEwKb Today in Focus podcast ► https://ift.tt/2D74a4z Sign up for the Guardian documentaries newsletter ► https://ift.tt/2feoDdN The Guardian ► https://ift.tt/1AFLGzy The Guardian YouTube network: Guardian News ► https://ift.tt/1J9JUwL Owen Jones talks ► http://bit.ly/subsowenjones Guardian Football ► https://ift.tt/1yECE17 Guardian Sport ► http://bit.ly/GDNsport Guardian Culture ► https://ift.tt/16bR6H2 Sources: Mapping Violence ► https://ift.tt/2ix5pM6 Open Policing ► https://ift.tt/2ssCijI A large-scale analysis of racial disparities in police stops across the United States ► https://ift.tt/3baClpn New York City budget ► https://ift.tt/3doaAdV Crime clearance rate in the United States in 2018 ► https://ift.tt/2g9eKJa Evidence that curtailing proactive policing can reduce major crime https://ift.tt/2htI3sh A large-scale analysis of racial disparities in police ► stops across the United States https://ift.tt/2F936h9 Researchers studied nearly 100 million traffic stops and found black motorists are more likely to be pulled over ► https://ift.tt/2YqjUtE Further reading: What are we talking about when we talk about “a police-free future? ► https://ift.tt/3dp7XZ6 Reclaim the block ► https://ift.tt/3gCQ6ke What does 'defund the police' mean? The rallying cry sweeping the US – explained ► https://ift.tt/2MAfdXe 'It's not about bad apples': how US police reforms have failed to stop brutality and violence ► https://ift.tt/2N3ckhS 19 dead in a decade: the small American city where violent police thrive ► https://ift.tt/37rhXQk Minneapolis lawmakers vow to disband police department in historic move ► https://ift.tt/2Um6r3n Who do you serve, and who do you protect? ► https://ift.tt/38293t7 Change Everything: Racial Capitalism and the Case for Abolition ► https://ift.tt/2YYWSsB Cities Ask if It’s Time to Defund Police and ‘Reimagine’ Public Safety ► https://ift.tt/3gVXVlj "We don't have time to wait": Minneapolis anti-police brutality organizer Kandace Montgomery on defunding the police ► https://ift.tt/2UehPOZ Defund the Police ► https://ift.tt/3cyyvXt Defunding the Police Is Good Climate Policy ► https://ift.tt/3ePmdM1 How Police Unions Became Such Powerful Opponents to Reform Efforts ► https://ift.tt/3eUWeCY On The Path Toward Police Abolition ► https://ift.tt/2Y5QHTp