For most people, defunding the police doesn’t mean getting rid of law enforcement. It’s really about the redistribution of money to the places and programs that need it.<\/b>
\nCHICAGO (WLS) — By now, you’ve seen the signs and heard the chants.\u00a0\u00bbDefund the Police.\u00a0\u00bb It’s a phrase being used by protestors around the country. But what exactly does it mean?\u00a0\u00bbWhen we talk about defunding the police, the issue is, how can those resources be used to do other things than fund that particular institution,\u00a0\u00bb said Dr. David Stovall, a professor of African-American Studies and Criminology, Law & Justice at The University of Illinois at Chicago. \u00ab\u00a0It’s really about taking funds from that space and putting them in other places to address issues and concerns that people have addressed.\u00a0\u00bbThat means things like education, affordable housing and healthcare could receive a lot more money. But Chicago is a large city, so is something like this even possible? Dr. Stovall said yes, especially when it comes to police presence in schools.\u00a0\u00bbIf you think about Minneapolis, San Jose California, Portland Oregon, Philadelphia and about 10 other cities have removed police from their school systems. These are real examples of what can be done,\u00a0\u00bb Dr. Stovall said. The money that would’ve gone to a police department contract, could instead be used for school counselors, psychologists and restorative justice programs.\u00a0\u00bbPolicing isn’t about crime prevention, it’s about responding to crime after the fact,\u00a0\u00bb Dr. Stovall said. \u00ab\u00a0So we need to think ‘What if we can actually be in spaces where we can address an issue before it escalates?'\u00a0\u00bbFor most people, defunding the police doesn’t mean getting rid of law enforcement completely. It’s really about the redistribution of money to the places and programs that need it.<\/p>\n