Defunding, Abolishing the New York City Police

by Phyllis Chesler

Even as Seattle’s Mayor has just shut down CHOPS, Mayor De Blasio and his City Council have ordered the defunding of the NYPD by 1.5 billion dollars. This is misguided, insane, a short-term pyrrhic victory, a long-term disaster.

Many crimes are not caused by living in poor neighborhoods; if they were, then everyone who lived in marginalized communities would be toting guns and shooting young children down in the streets. This is not the case.

And the best social work, education, health care, including mental health care, etc. cannot, as yet, cure criminal sociopaths, serial killers, rapists, woman-batterers, child abusers, school shooters, mass murderers, etc.

Are we really deciding to let civilians handle these creeps on our own? Without training, without weaponry? Are we actually ready to condemn the most vulnerable of citizens to murder and mayhem? If so, what has come over us?