I believe we need a phrasing change… “defund the police” gets folks upset, particularly racists who think someone is gonna steal their stuff or rape their women. Lord, I bet they’re out buying even more guns now… smh. The PR on this thing is bad bad bad…Let’s clarify: no one wants to get rid of peace officers. What folks are asking for is a paradigm shift as to how officers support the community. We need to shift from expensive, militarized, heavy-handed policing back to the original intent (for white folks, at least)- peace officers who are an integral part of the community.Officers need to live in the neighborhood they support, not just the city or county- too much room for apathy cuz it’s not your neighborhood. It helps that officer become a part of positive change…If most arrests are substance-related in your city, for example- take some of the millions from the police budget and create support & prevention programs where the police can interact with the community 1:1. One more example- If a lot of issues in your city are the result of truancy & kids not having structure- spend some of the millions on Officer Friendly type programs- getting police back in schools in a helpful, meaningful capacity, rather than the gestapo- ready to harm someone if they talk back to a teacher. Or better yet, parenting programs that help families deal with their struggles & conflict.These are the types of things I’m hearing from activists posts/tweets across the country- and I’ve been reading a bunch of great ideas. No one is suggesting anarchy & chaos, with no organization to keep communities safe. For those of you who think that, get over yourself & stahp. All we want is peaceful police who have a vested interest in keeping us safe & becoming a part of the human ecosystem they work in. Sounds like what most of y’all get now, doesn’t it? Well, not for black folks… hence, the call for change.