[twsttest]

>"Defund the police and use the money for mental health and human services."

That doesn't address the cancer of gang violence and other violence that police need to deal with constantly.

"Mental health and human services" will not address these problems. Most people committing crime had an opportunity to go to school and participate in legal society. They choose not to.

The future of America is that of a lawless gangland like Mexico if the police are "defunded".

[thephyber]

Even police departments don't send their paramilitary groups (eg. "SWAT") to every scene, police don't need to be at every emergency call. In fact, this is already the case -- when you call 911 for a medical emergency, an ambulance or medical fire department unit shows up (usually alone). In the same way, "defund the police" means use police more judiciously, not necessarily eliminate police.

> The future of America is that of a lawless gangland like Mexico if the police are "defunded".

Citation needed.

Gang violence in the US has been declining for more than 2 decades, even as the population grows and US police case closure rates are far below 50%. Police don't have as much effectiveness or as good of a reputation with innocent civilians in gang territory as I imagine you think. Also, a significant portion of the US already has and carries guns, so it's not like gang violence would just expand boundless even if there were no police.

[aahhahahaaa]

The police don't address gang violence, they react to it after it happens. Gang violence has been declining in the US despite no change in policing.

[danaris]

If you want to drastically reduce gang violence, end the War on Drugs. That will cut off a huge portion of gangs' funding sources.