The conversation around overhauling policing in the United States continues amidst the ongoing protests against racism and police brutality, and there are plenty of ideas coming from activists. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden…
The conversation around overhauling policing in the United States continues amidst the ongoing protests against racism and police brutality, and there are plenty of ideas coming from activists. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden hasn’t gone all in on defunding the police, but he has made some concessions toward more progressive movements calling for the reallocation of some police funds to communities. To get a handle on where Joe Biden stands on police reform, you can look to his recent statements on the matter. In an effort to bring more progressive ideas into his platform, Biden recently worked with Sen. Bernie Sanders to draft a 110-page Unity Force Task document, which was released on July 8 and includes his administration’s stance on reforming the criminal justice system as well as his plans for combating the climate change crisis and rebuilding the economy with green jobs post-COVID. While President Trump incorrectly stated during a July 19 interview that his political opponent’s Unity Task Force document supports abolishing police, the reality is that [Biden’s viewpoints lean more in the middle while advocating for some reallocation of police funds.] Biden hopes to repair the system by giving law enforcement more money. This is in contrast to the defund the police movement, which argues that the law enforcement system is broken beyond reform and needs to be defunded in order to help the communities it claims to serve. In a June 10 op-ed shared on USA Today, Biden said he plans to add an additional $300 million in funding to police departments to help improve the relationships between law enforcement and their communities.
