Sen. Kamala Harris rejected claims made by President Trump and others that those who support calls to “defund the police” want to abolish all police departments.
The California Democrat accused Trump on Tuesday of trying to stoke fear by claiming that those who want to defund the police plan to remove law enforcement from the United States entirely. She told Good Morning America that Trump was “creating fear where none is necessary.”
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“We all witnessed the tragic murder of George Floyd. The people protesting in the streets are protesting what has been a long-standing issue in America that needs to be addressed. And it can be done in a way that does not require us to create fear in people,” Harris said.
“The status quo way of thinking about achieving safety is really wrong when it assumes that the best way to achieve more safety is to put more police on the streets,” she later added. “It’s just wrong. You know how you create more safety? You fund public schools.”
Calls to defund the police were sparked by Floyd’s death in Minneapolis after he was arrested by an officer who knelt on his neck for several minutes. The Minneapolis City Council announced that it has a veto-proof majority geared up to dismantle the city’s police department. Council President Lisa Bender said that the “goal” of the city is to have a “police-free future.” Harris, however, said police will still be needed.
“We need to recognize that if you invest in communities, they will be healthy, they will be strong, and we won’t have a need for the militarization of police,” Harris said. “Right? We have to stop that. We have to stop militarization of police, but that doesn’t mean we get rid of police. Of course not. We have to be practical about this.”
