So, since it is going to be a thing, I figure I might as well explain what the "defund" and "disband" the police movements are actually advocating, and while their ideas may not be as bad as they sound to you. 1/
The first thing to note is that there is no one definition of what all of this means as it is an idea and like most ideas proposed by Democrats and liberals, they often have very different ideas about what the same words mean. I am going to be giving very high level details. 2/
So when someone says they want to defund the police typically what they mean that they are going to take actions to reduce the scope of what the police department covers and have other groups take over the now removed responsibilities. Police will still exist. 3/
The idea of reducing the scope of policing is actually something that is endorsed by several police chiefs, who often have to train their officers to respond to a massive variety of potential situations which have divergent and sometimes opposing skill sets. 4/
Obviously the way you respond to an active shooter should be different than the way you respond to a person having a psychological episode that needs assistance. And yet today in almost every municipality, the same officers are responding to both calls. 5/
Defunding the police can also mean demilitarizing police. After 9/11 every city in America needed the tools to fight a counterinsurgency in their own city. Since one has not materialized, they have instead turned these tools on their own citizens 6/
This was evident to many of us in Ferguson, where peaceful protests with singing and dancing were often met with police in armored vehicles in the streets, operated by officers who looked nothing like the protesters. A disproportionate show of force. 7/
Indeed, militarization has not significantly reduced crime, nor has it increased officer safety in any meaningful way. But what it has done is harmed the reputation of police departments and officers all over this country. 8/ SOURCE: pnas.org/content/115/37…
Aside from the obvious antagonism of a peaceful protest with singing being interrupted by what is effectively a tank, it makes people think that they are less secure, because why else would police need these urban assault vehicles. 9/ 
As for disbanding the police, well, that is where things get a bit more tricky and hypocritical for the Democrats. When they say "disband the police" what they mean is "create a new police department for the area that isn't subject to the existing union contracts/agreements." 10/
Police unions are notorious for opposing any reform, no matter how small, even opposing wildly popular suggested reforms like body cams or requiring officers to file a form every time they draw their weapon. They often offer full-throated, defiant defenses for cops that kill. 11/
So what is "disband the police department"? It's busting the police union, and replacing the existing department with a new department, which allows the cities to create new codes of conduct, methods of overview, etc. without negotiating with the police union 12/
This would typically be more of a Republican action, as in addition to being a quick way to reform policing in a community, it also allows cities to reduce payroll and 'fringe benefits' to officers by, again, effectively busting the police union. 13/
In my view, Democrats who are already at the "disband" stage are doing themselves a disservice I think. While I do think there are many communities (i.e. Buffalo) where this would be a chance at a fresh start, they haven't effectively explained why it is necessary. 14/
Nor have they explained the fact that the old police force would be replaced with a new one that would assume the necessary functions of the previous force. And they've not forcefully made the claim that the police unions are the first problem they need to tackle. 15/
Part of that is because organized labor as a whole still supports police unions, viewing attempts to bust police unions the same way they would other labor unions. Organized Labor remains a major supporter of Democratic candidates. 16/ SOURCE: publicintegrity.org/inequality-pov…
That said, local elections are typically less influenced by national dollars. BLM and other civil rights groups would (and are) working on developing national campaigns for local candidates--as federal oversight on policing is currently limited. 17/
Will it be successful? Most people still feel positively about their own local police, even if their feelings of police as a whole have fallen drastically in the last two weeks.
People may be looking for more national reforms.
None of which will come with Trump in office. 18/
People may be looking for more national reforms.
None of which will come with Trump in office. 18/
Joe Biden's current criminal justice platform is, to put it lightly, not in unison with the current movement. That said, he can propose much of what I've laid out here, without calling it 'defund' or 'disband' and pitch that as a moderate solution to the issues. 19/
Will he? Well, he needs to make a speech soon about a plan for law enforcement, because his current plans don't really account for our current political reality, and "aim for the leg" isn't really a plan at all. He needs help on this issue. I trust he will get it. 20/x
