Portside

The long-awaited report affirms support for police unions, and rejects the idea of defunding the police.

The democratic socialist congresswoman explains why the U.S. needs to tackle systemic racism by investing in social programs, arguing that “police can’t be the answer to all these ills in our country.”

Black and brown people’s defiance is not the problem. Our compliance is not the solution.

"We believe the solution to violence is to empower our communities with resources, support, and education — this is how we make all of our communities safe.”

Why are we putting so much money into law enforcement when we need money that helps people have opportunity? We can increase our spending on critical areas, we can ensure people have health care, education, good living wage jobs.

The Los Angeles School Board voted to cut $70 million a year budget of the Los Angeles School Police Department (LASPD) by $25 million—35%—and move those funds to programs focused on the needs of Black students.

Defunding the police is the first step in a longer process that may culminate in the end of policing in the United States. The repeated failure of meaningful reform have made concepts like “defunding” and “abolition” part of mainstream conversation.

Mere reform won’t fix policing.