An important element of the continuing debate about racism in law enforcement following the killing of George Floyd is the slogan “Defund the Police” (hereafter DtP). It has captured the public imagination, both in a positive and negative sense; while crowds chant the slogan to protest abuse of police powers, conservative critics ridicule it as emblematic of the extremes to which the dialogue on racism is being driven. 

A group of researchers from the Department of Criminology and the School of Public Policy, with funding from the two units plus BSOS, have begun research to explore what DtP might mean for the city of Baltimore, which has long been riven by tensions between the Black Community and the Police Department.  The group is led by Peter Reuter, with Brooklynn Hitchens, Greg Midgette, and Lauren Porter from CCJS, and Luke Spreen from Public Policy.

While the role of police in society combines law enforcement, crime control, and public safety, its traditional “core” duties have been the application of coercive and investigative powers. However, the duties of officers in the field are diverse and have expanded under modern community policing strategies. Police departments have a long history of difficulty in respectfully treating minority individuals and communities, perhaps reflecting the challenges in recruiting and retaining officers with appropriate attitudes. Arguably, moving some of their functions to agencies with a less troubled history of race relations and with more restrictions on engaging in violence may serve to reduce the problem.

Brooklynn Hitchens remarked, "We are confident that a rigorous, in-depth analysis of attitudes toward police among Black residents of Baltimore will reveal the complex, situated nuances about how Defunding the Police is about more than a reallocation of funds, but also a cry for humanity due to a legacy of racialized mistreatment."

The assumption of this research initiative is that the slogan of Defunding the Police will continue to be prominent in the debate about police and race. It is important to examine whether and how it might provide the basis for constructive reforms. Three questions guide our initiative:

(1) What is it that police departments do that could be done more effectively and/or safely by other local agencies or non-governmental organizations? For example, police spend a substantial amount of time dealing with individuals who have mental health problems and with homeless individuals. The team will examine the experiences of other cities in trying to shift these kinds of responsibilities to social service agencies.   

(2) What are the budget implications of such a reallocation of responsibilities?  How practical is it to shift resources from police to other agencies, given the politics of local budgets?  This requires examination of the Baltimore Police Department budget and what can and cannot be singled out related to specific functions.

(3) What are the implications of reallocating responsibilities and budget for reducing racism in the community? The goal of the reallocation is not to punish the police department in the city or county but to increase the confidence of the minority community that its members will be treated fairly in encounters with the local government. For that, it is essential to understand what it is about police function and behavior that causes most conflict with minority communities. Is it driven predominantly by how police discharge their core functions of patrol, investigation, and arrest? To what extent do the other activities, such as policing the homeless play an important role in triggering these problems.  This will be investigated through a series of focus groups and interviews with Black residents and opinion leaders in Baltimore.