The issue of police procedures and use of force got exactly zero discussion in the last City Council election. The next election is about a year and a half away, but it's never too soon to take note of a candidate's or incumbent's public position on important issues. The losing candidate in the last election, Mike Dunham, did fairly well last year garnering almost 2,700 votes (25.5%) so what he thinks matters. In a letter to the Daily Journal this week, Mr. Dunham objects to police "displaying riot guns and batons" at one of the demonstrations while simultaneously noting that "witnesses spotted gun-toting individuals who were not part of the protest".
I'd like to meet an officer who is willing to provide on-the-ground support at a demonstration of highly-incensed people without a baton and at least a few fellow officers carrying (not "displaying", sorry) something more accurate at distance than a sidearm. That is a job description of a position that will be open for a long, long time. Dunham ends by broaching the subject of police funding. Elsewhere in the DJ another B'game resident, Arne Hurty, starts the discussion of "defunding" our police and bringing on people trained to deal with mental illness, sex workers and even traffic violations. He doesn't mean in a clinic or center after the fact–he means on the street in real time; as the stuff is hitting the fan. I'd like to meet one of those pro's and review their credentials. I'll let Willie Brown's comments in today's Chronicle respond:
The call to “defund the police” as part of the anti-racism, anti-police-brutality movement is either one of the dumbest ideas of all time or the hands-down winner of the worst slogan ever. I shouldn’t have to explain that actually defunding police is a nonstarter as a practical matter, let alone as a political one.
I'm all for more mental health counselors, but it has to come from net-new funds and there are going to be precious few of those for the next couple of years. And they have to be backed up by a judicial system that functions better than the one we have now; as seen in the comments on the Social Media and City Government post. Now there is a problem I'd like to hear elected and future candidates weigh in on.
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