The deaths of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks have sparked a backlash against police, and that backlash will lead to tragedy if defunding the police becomes policy. While there is some debate about what “defund” really means, there is no question it has already led to cuts in funding to police departments in major cities. Those cuts, along with the push to abolish police altogether in Minneapolis and the death-eligible charges brought against the officers responsible for Brooks’s death, are an invitation to those who prey on the weak and vulnerable.

There was a lot of discussion after Floyd’s death in Minneapolis about police training regarding chokeholds and stress positions, like the one used by the officers when arresting Floyd. The nation watched as Floyd begged for his life and stopped breathing. It was nothing short of horrifying. The officers responsible have been charged, and there is no doubt the full force of the law will be brought to bear in the search for justice for Floyd. Very few, if any, law enforcement experts disagreed with holding those officers criminally responsible for Floyd’s death.