Biden faces balancing act as activists call to 'defund the police'

[webfact]

Biden faces balancing act as activists call to 'defund the police'

By Trevor Hunnicutt and Joseph Ax

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event about the U.S. economy at Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware, U.S. June 5, 2020. REUTERS/Jim Bourg

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden opposes "defunding the police," his campaign said on Monday, declining to embrace a rallying cry that has gained support among progressive activists and protesters demonstrating against police brutality.

 

The growing calls to dismantle or reimagine U.S. police departments have put pressure on Biden and other Democratic leaders, who favor policing reforms but are wary of adopting a loaded phrase that some Democrats fear could be a divisive election issue.

 

President Donald Trump and other Republicans have seized on the "defund the police" slogan to suggest Democrats are bending to extremists at the expense of public safety.

 

The term is being used by activists to propose eliminating or cutting spending on police departments, often the largest expense for municipalities, and instead funneling the money to programs for education, social welfare, housing and other community needs.

 

Protests have roiled U.S. cities for more than two weeks since the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, after a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes.

 

Biden, the former vice president, met with Floyd's family in Houston for more than an hour on Monday to offer his sympathies.

 

In a statement, Andrew Bates, a Biden campaign spokesman, said Biden "does not believe that police should be defunded" but supports "the urgent need for reform, including funding for public schools, summer programs, and mental health and substance abuse treatment separate from funding for policing, so that officers can focus on the job of policing."

 

Biden previously called for a $300 million investment in policing, contingent on officers mirroring the diversity of their communities. His campaign said he supported funding for better training, body cameras and community policing.

 

Trump's campaign spokesman, Tim Murtaugh, said in response, "We still haven't heard from Joe Biden himself on the radical 'Defund the Police' movement in the Democrat Party," an effort Murtaugh said would create "chaos in American communities."

 

Biden and Trump will face off in the Nov. 3 election. At a law enforcement roundtable on Monday, Trump said he was looking at various police reforms but vowed, "There won't be defunding."

 

Biden's stance echoed that of Democrats in Congress, who on Monday unveiled sweeping legislation to combat police violence that stopped short of cutting funding for local law enforcement agencies.

 

A 'NEW POLITICAL OPPORTUNITY' FOR REFORM

Progressives are pushing for more. Senator Bernie Sanders - who promised to hold Biden accountable after ending a presidential campaign and endorsing the former vice president - has called for slashing all federal funding for police departments accused of violating people's civil rights.

 

Several people serving on "unity" task forces set up by Biden and Sanders support shifting funding from policing to community services, they told Reuters in interviews.

 

"Everyone recognizes the centuries of systemic oppression and white supremacy and the fundamental failure of the criminal justice system," said Linn County, Iowa, Supervisor Stacey Walker, a member of Biden's criminal justice policy task force though not speaking on its behalf. "If that doesn't open up a new political opportunity for sweeping reform, then I don't know what will."

 

Varshini Prakash, executive director of the environmental group Sunrise Movement and a member of Biden's task force on climate change, said it was less important for Biden to carry a "cardboard sign saying 'Defund the Police'" and more important for him to "articulate a real transformational vision...beyond policing and incarceration."

 

Any cuts to police budgets are likely to be met with stiff opposition from public sector unions, which finance and organize on behalf of Democrats.

 

Bill Johnson, the head of the National Organization of Police Associations, a nonprofit trade group, said Biden was right to suggest more funding for both police as well as other services.

 

"Taking away police isn't going to solve these other problems," Johnson said.

 

Vanita Gupta, the former civil rights chief at the U.S. Department of Justice and a member of Biden's criminal justice task force, said the protests reflected a growing consensus that flawed policing is just one aspect of a deeper issue.

 

"Police reform alone is not going to solve the problem of police violence," she said. "It really is going to require fundamentally looking at what kind of investments and priorities have been made in black and brown communities over many years."

 

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt in New York and Joseph Ax in Dorset, Vermont; Additional reporting by Steve Holland in Washington; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Alistair Bell and Cynthia Osterman)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-09

 

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[Mama Noodle]

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden opposes "defunding the police," his campaign said on Monday, declining to embrace a rallying cry that has gained support among progressive activists and protesters

What’s the matter Joe? These are the people your party have been building up and giving cover for 3 years. Now you’re all scared?

[Thailand]

All Biden has to do to win in November is to keep his mouth shut.

[Berkshire]

Defunding the police is a nutty idea that will not go over well with the majority of Americans and Joe Biden knows this.  The whole concept is mostly a negotiation tactic to push for police reform.  Biden is not stupid.  The Biden campaign has already issued a statement on this:

 

"Biden does not believe that police should be defunded.  He hears and shares the deep grief and frustration of those calling out for change, and is driven to ensure that justice is done and that we put a stop to this terrible pain. Biden supports the urgent need for reform..."

[cyril sneer]

the police have clearly lost control, especially in UK

 

so I am in support for defunding. spend the extra money on military and send them to the streets instead

[mr mr]

joe biden can't even balance his daily pill box. go away dinosaur. 

[simple1]

19 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

Defunding the police is a nutty idea that will not go over well with the majority of Americans and Joe Biden knows this.  The whole concept is mostly a negotiation tactic to push for police reform.  Biden is not stupid.  The Biden campaign has already issued a statement on this:

 

"Biden does not believe that police should be defunded.  He hears and shares the deep grief and frustration of those calling out for change, and is driven to ensure that justice is done and that we put a stop to this terrible pain. Biden supports the urgent need for reform..."

I have read some police are in favour to channel some of their funds to social services as police are fed up with having to deal with the homeless, mental health sufferers and so on. I would guess that it's a branding issue as 'defunding police' has a negative connotation. 

[bendejo]

Professional policing in the US is definitely in need of a culture change.  Too many (note that I am not saying "all") people become cops so they have license to bully people.  That has to change.  Police are there to keep order, and sometimes that involves going after bad guys, an unenviable job.

 

This idea of defunding is terrible.  It's very Trumpian as well.  Crime will go up, knowing the cops have been curtailed is going to embolden people to do bad things.  Eventually there will a crackdown, incarceration will go up, it will be unacceptable, etc. 

Now maybe if there is a looming threat that these George Floyd-type incidents could result in cutting Federal funds of the entire local gov't infrastructures, not necessarily the police budget, everyone from the governor on down will make it their business to see there is no more of this in their state.  And each such move will be preceded by having a look at their books, and I'm sure nearly every entity has things that they hope will not be held up to the light.  Sometimes the threat is enough.

 

 

[mr mr]

3 minutes ago, simple1 said:

I have read some police are in favour to channel some of their funds to social services as police are fed up with having to deal with the homeless, mental health sufferers and so on. I would guess that it's a branding issue as 'defunding police' has a negative connotation. 

wait until there is a death involved with one of these events after there is no police involved. it will get really messy. not saying police are great or anything but we all know what will happen with this. 

[simple1]

2 minutes ago, mr mr said:

wait until there is a death involved with one of these events after there is no police involved. it will get really messy. not saying police are great or anything but we all know what will happen with this. 

So far as I know no one is calling for disbandment of police, but for reform and equitable distribution of responsibilities across social services.

[TopDeadSenter]

7 minutes ago, simple1 said:

So far as I know no one is calling for disbandment of police, <SNIP>

Life. It comes at you fast.

 

"Nine out of 13 Minneapolis City Council members stood up on the stage to announce their intent to disband the city's police department, CBS Minnesota reports."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minneapolis-city-council-announces-intent-disband-police/

 

"Minneapolis lawmakers vow to disband police department in historic move"

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/07/minneapolis-city-council-defund-police-george-floyd

[checkered flag]

2 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Life. It comes at you fast.

 

"Nine out of 13 Minneapolis City Council members stood up on the stage to announce their intent to disband the city's police department, CBS Minnesota reports."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minneapolis-city-council-announces-intent-disband-police/

 

"Minneapolis lawmakers vow to disband police department in historic move"

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/07/minneapolis-city-council-defund-police-george-floyd

The 9 must plan on hiring private security for their families, like the Hollywood elite. I'm sure the criminals will take notice. 

[Tug]

Joe isent going to sign on for defunding the police nor do the vast majority of Americans that beeing said there is a groundswell of citizens wanting reform and consequences when the cops screw up I’m all for that!

[checkered flag]

2 minutes ago, Tug said:

Joe isent going to sign on for defunding the police nor do the vast majority of Americans that beeing said there is a groundswell of citizens wanting reform and consequences when the cops screw up I’m all for that!

Reform is good but de-funding is insane. Joe's previous attempts were to increase lock ups not reform. He has a history. The vast majority of American want fair effective policing (including Black American). 

[Henryford]

Treason May had the idea in the UK first, defund the Police.

[Skallywag]

A certain percentage of police will always be "bad" cops.  As with the law breakers they arrest, any police who are found breaking rules of conduct should be fired and tried in a court of law like everyone else.  Too many unskilled workers in a world moving rapidly towards a skilled labor force is creating poverty and strife.  We need to deal with the causes, before the effects create more havoc.  More police and more prisons is not the answer.  More government is not the answer.  Education and opportunity is the answer.  With those 2 things, less government, less police, and less prisons will be necessary

[HeijoshinCool]

Is that a morgue photo?

[checkered flag]

4 minutes ago, Skallywag said:

A certain percentage of police will always be "bad" cops.  As with the law breakers they arrest, any police who are found breaking rules of conduct should be fired and tried in a court of law like everyone else.  Too many unskilled workers in a world moving rapidly towards a skilled labor force is creating poverty and strife.  We need to deal with the causes, before the effects create more havoc.  More police and more prisons is not the answer

 

(Side rant)The USA seems to be a place where too many idiots are allowed to breed, allowed to worship idiotic "mythologies" which teach discrimination and separatism.  An ever growing population causes an increase in hostilities because of increased density in cities.    

There are also be a certain percent of bad people that take or harm others. Deal with the "bad" cops and honor those who serve.

I have no idea what "mythologies" you are referring to. Discrimination and separation are unknown to me. I judge people on what they do and how they act, and expect other to do the same for me.

[rabas]

22 minutes ago, Skallywag said:

A certain percentage of police will always be "bad" cops.  As with the law breakers they arrest, any police who are found breaking rules of conduct should be fired and tried in a court of law like everyone else.  Too many unskilled workers in a world moving rapidly towards a skilled labor force is creating poverty and strife.  We need to deal with the causes, before the effects create more havoc.  More police and more prisons is not the answer.  More government is not the answer.  Education and opportunity is the answer.  With those 2 things, less government, less police, and less prisons will be necessary

I fully agree with more education, skills, and job opportunists. Rebuilding and supporting the family unit can only help. This eventually leads to fewer police and prisons, and smaller government.

 

Start by defunding the Democrat Party who's minorities vote harvesting policies are responsible for inner city poverty, blight, and destruction of the family unit.

[meechai]

2 hours ago, cyril sneer said:

the police have clearly lost control, especially in UK

 

so I am in support for defunding. spend the extra money on military and send them to the streets instead

I have no idea about the UK but I imagine like many spots it is not east to know what Police go thru day to day

 

That aside spend extra money on military & send them into the street?

1- Military take way to much of any governments budget already

2- You want grunts/foot soldiers in the street??? You think cops are bad wait till you see grunts with power.

 

These are people that needed weapons manuals rewritten at a 10th grade or lower comprehension level

These are not the college educated military who fly planes that would be in the street

 

If you never witnessed the insanity in an emergency like say Katrina where military were given the job of policing/patrol & door to door

evac etc. read up these are not folks you want

 

 

[AnnaBanana]

2 hours ago, HeijoshinCool said:

Is that a morgue photo?

It sure looks like it.

Those cosmetic surgery makeovers don't last long, do they?

[Jingthing]

4 hours ago, mr mr said:

joe biden can't even balance his daily pill box. go away dinosaur. 

So 45 is not a dinosaur? 

If you're going to be obnoxiously ageist it's only fair to be consistent. 

 

[Berkshire]

3 hours ago, simple1 said:

So far as I know no one is calling for disbandment of police, but for reform and equitable distribution of responsibilities across social services.

Yes, but the average low-information American is not going to get it.  Call it police reform, fine.  But if they keep repeating "defund the police," even moderates will take that to mean getting rid of the police and complete lawlessness (no doubt the right wing will hammer that point).  It's almost like Bernie and his socialist moniker.  No matter how he tried to explain it, the right will always equate it to evil socialism/communism. 

[Jingthing]

Biden coming out for the loaded buzz phrase of defund the police would have been an incredible gift to 45's reelection chances.

 

Happily Biden is not inclined to grant such gifts. 

[checkered flag]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Biden coming out for the loaded buzz phrase of defund the police would have been an incredible gift to 45's reelection chances.

 

Happily Biden is not inclined to grant such gifts. 

But Joe needs to play to his base. It's a tough position for him.

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, checkered flag said:

But Joe needs to play to his base. It's a tough position for him.

It's not as tough as you suggest. I'm certain that even among black Americans support for what defund the police sounds like is not very great. Also so for those that think Biden should position further left its not as if they're going to vote for race baiting white nationalist 45!

[Berkshire]

58 minutes ago, checkered flag said:

But Joe needs to play to his base. It's a tough position for him.

Not really.  Even the furthest left progressives can see the stark contrast: 

 

Vote for Biden, get some level of police reform (or even just an attempt).

Vote for Trump, zero police reform.

[Boon Mee]

Joe Biden? 555 

He can't form a single cohesive sentence let alone come up with a position on the police. 

His keepers trot him out so he can mumble some word salad and back he goes to his basement. 

[ellisael]

Defunding and re-looking at the policing system really is long overdue but what even can be expected from Biden's diplomacy!

[blazes]

Biden and law enforcement????

 

An oxymoron.