A group of 17 Attorneys General from various states penned a letter to President Trump, Congressional leadership of both parties and Attorney General Bill Barr, citing dangers of the idea of “defunding the police.”
“The American people are yearning for safety, stability and security during these difficult times...We must defeat the notion that defunding the police will make Americans safer and focus on what we can do to rebuild trust between law enforcement and communities,” they write.
The group of attorneys also pointed to the flaws in the narrative that “defunding the police” does not actually mean “defunding” law enforcement:
“Elected officials who say ‘defund’ doesn’t mean ‘defund’ choose to ignore the consequences of their statements and the public safety risk posed to their communities. To “defund the police” would mean to turn our backs on victims of domestic violence, children being bought and sold for sex, or the elderly being physically and emotionally abused,” they continue. “Creative parsing of the word ‘defund’ is at best an attempt to pacify the loud, lawless few, and at worst, an attempt to vilify a noble profession.”
Indeed, crime victims will face real safety concerns if the movement to “defund the police” becomes a reality, and that fact gets lost in the debate over “defunding the police.” This group of Attorneys General is correct to stand up for the law and crime victims.
Read the full letter below:
I joined a coalition of 17 Attorneys General in writing a letter denouncing the dangerous “defund the police” movement. As the letter states, “our goal should be to empower law enforcement to legally & ethically fulfill their duties, not restrict their ability to protect us all.” pic.twitter.com/I2pvDhQpnW
— Attorney General Daniel Cameron (@kyoag) June 24, 2020