I don't think we should talk about defunding the police for the purpose of what you just mentioned. I think the term can be very loaded. We need to develop a very wise, strategic and cost-effective public policy approach to budget allocation, whether for policing or for any other social or even economic programs. We have to look at it.
I think the term “defunding” often is seen to be an attack on the police profession, on the police institution and on the police officers themselves. The vast majority of them, I believe, are committed to law and order, to serving and protecting the public.
We need to find a different approach, and even different terminology. I think we also have to ensure, as legislators and as government, that our budgets are well spent and spent in a way that responds to community needs.
If there is a gap in funding for mental health or homelessness, can we get the money elsewhere, for example? There are many other things. I think to focus only on the police can create a lot of confusion and a lot of further division, and it does not allow us to really look at the real problem objectively.