Defunding the police is an unpopular idea in just about every corner of America outside of leftist activist circles. But the movement is particularly disliked among the one group of people it depends on: African Americans.
When asked about the police presence in their communities, 61% of black Americans said they want policing to remain the same, according to a new Gallup poll, even though they tend to have more frequent interactions with the police than do white Americans. Indeed, 79% of those who have had an interaction with the police in the past year said they want the police to spend more or the same amount of time in their neighborhood, the poll found.
That doesn’t mean black Americans are content with the system as is. The black individuals polled also reported a higher number of negative interactions with the police than did white Americans, and this poll confirms that these bad experiences directly affect the way the black community views policing in general. For example, 45% of black Americans who reported not being treated with courtesy or respect by the police within the last year said they want less of a police presence in their neighborhoods. That’s a significant number, and it proves we have a long way to go if our law enforcement system is to fulfill its intended purpose.
But even those most affected by proactive policing, and the consequences that accompany it, do not believe the solution is to throw out the current system altogether. Rather, nearly 90% of black Americans agreed that reforming the criminal justice system, increasing accountability within law enforcement, and raising awareness about its potential for abuse will be more effective in the long run.
These aren’t the numbers “Defund the Police” activists like to report. And why would they? This poll contradicts the Left’s narrative that black Americans dislike law enforcement, feel oppressed by it, and want to replace it with something else when the truth is that black Americans understand why policing is important even if they sometimes disagree with it.
There are realistic solutions to the problems plaguing our law enforcement system. But defunding the police is not one of them — and it never will be.
