this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2023
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This is one example of how the current criminal justice system prioritizes capitalism over public safety. People who live paycheck to paycheck don't have resources to remove themselves from situations where they know they are in danger. Most people are murdered by people they know, not strangers. This is especially true in terms of women's pay inequality, where this systemic failure makes it harder for women to separate themselves from abusive partners, who often end up killing them. If you want to reduce murders, you need some wealth distribution, not more policing.
That was the whole point of defund the police - shift social/mental health services to people who are trained in those areas and let cops focus on crime rather than domestic disturbances.
It was a shame they went with such a terrible name for this. It just gave the other side way more bs talking points.
Hell the Austin Tx police department (union really) is still butt hurt that they even thought about taking away money from them that they are still refusing to respond to most calls.
Dumbest term ever.
It was always reallocate the funds AND responsibilities to some other agency. Let cops do their cop shit and let homeless and the mentally ill get dealt with by people who care and know how to deal with em.
Just more proof they should be defunded for being utterly useless
This is one of the reasons abusers pressure you to quit your job-- so even if you were finanically stable before, you end up becoming financially dependant on them so you can't just leave. It also makes it nigh-impossible for kids, even kids of wealthy families, to escape abusive situations before they're old enough to get a job (and you can bet their parents will run interference to keep that from happening as long as possible, or else figure out a way to coerce them into giving them their paychecks.)
You say we don't need more policing, but I have a point to interject.
I was completely sober while my wife was decidedly.... not. She had just struck me and it would produce a black eye later.
I called the police, aside from the abuse, my wife was experiencing a mental breakdown and was on the verge of suicide. When I say verge, I mean I had hidden or destroyed anything she could hurt herself with, including my own psych meds that I need for my own mental health issues. She still tried, though ineffectual. We needed professional help. We wanted an ambulance. We requested an ambulance from 911. The pigs showed up, of course.
I had a swelling eye, a witness, and a dramatically unstable wife and was almost arrested.
The police do not care about your well being. "Serve and protect" has been stricken down by the Supreme Court. The police serve the 1%, and deal with us plebians as easily as possible... that is to say, they will ruin your life because it is easier than taking care of the actual offender.
We need a support agency for health, especially mental health, crises. A mentally unstable person can cause a lot of damage, either to their own life, or others. That includes death.
End statement. TL;DR; we need a public agency that helps people who are having a mental health crisis and doesn't treat them as violent extremists.
I don't think this is just a capitalist problem. I don't think there's been an economic system in human history (practiced, not theorized) that helped the have nots to the same degree as the haves.