Police: Defunding works if cops can focus on crime

Re: “Defunding police will have disastrous results,” (TNT letter, 8/26).

It is hard to get statistics but I asked a policeman recently how much of what he does every day is dealing with mentally ill homeless people or drug-addicted people compared to dealing with crime.

His answer was: over 80%.

I don’t like the slogan “Defund the Police,” but I get it that people are upset about police violence and brutality. They are mad and want change.

Putting more money into other organizations that can handle people with mental illness and homelessness just makes sense. If police work is cut by 80% and they can focus on crimes, then a 50% cut is still a lot of police to fight crime.

And the constant comment about Blacks killing Blacks? Yes, that is true, 85% of the time. But whites kill whites 83% of the time. And 85% of the time the gun-violence victim knows the shooter, typically a family member, friend or acquaintance.

This is a gun problem that isn’t going to change by having more cops.

This story was originally published September 2, 2020 at 7:55 AM with the headline "Police: Defunding works if cops can focus on crime."