“Defund the police” has become a rallying cry for some activists who say the Chicago Police Department budget is too large and some of those funds should be used for social services and education.
CHICAGO (WLS) — “Defunding police” is a new catchphrase that has gained steam across the country, including in Chicago, in the wake of the wave of peaceful protests over the death of George Floyd. But what exactly does that mean? For State Rep. LaShawn Ford (D-Chicago), it means rebuilding the Chicago Police Department from the top down.”The system is broken, we’ve got to tear it down and replace it because taxpayer dollars are being wasted,” he said. Police department budgets have ballooned across the nation in recent years. Out of a city total budget of $11.65 billion, CPD’s budget is $1.78 billion. Alderman Ray Lopez, who represents the 15th Ward, said he does not believe the department should be dismantled, but it’s time for the City Council to review that budget.”If we just pass things as is and never take a deep dive, we will never address the issues that have brought us to this point today, and that would be a shame,” he said. For many protesters, defunding police means cutting police budgets and shifting the money to neighborhood-based resources.
