Social Problems in the News: Defunding Police Departments
During the protests that began in Minneapolis and spread across the U.S. in Spring 2020 “defund the police” became a national topic after it was one of the slogans that was used by the protesters. For some this actually meant reducing the funding police departments receive and to take other measures such as preventing police departments from having access to military surplus equipment. For others, defund the police meant to effectively disband the police force altogether. Both positions take the stance that funding could be better applied to other social services like mental health counseling, youth outreach programs, food banks, housing, employment programs, etc. Defunding the police departments effectively takes a different approach to solving the social problem of crime by tackling the social problems associated with crime instead of using traditional policing.
For your initial post, find a news article published that discusses defunding police departments. Consider looking at the following sources listed below. You can access these sources from the Texas Wesleyan Library. If you need support accessing these sources, refer to How to Access Journals through the Library document. If you select a different source than one listed below, remember to include a PDF of the article instead of a link to ensure your peers can view it.
- Wall Street Journal
- The Washington Post
- The New York Times
- The Chicago Tribune
- USA Today
- The Economist
In your post, summarize the article and explain how the article relates to crime as a social problem. If your news source uses academic research or government data, state the research or data that it uses and briefly describe what it means. If defunding happens what should be funded instead, in your opinion? Why? Do you think police funding should stay at the same levels? What do you think it’s the best solution? Defend your opinion.
Select two peers who thought differently than you whether funding should stay at the same levels. Read the articles your peers posted. Did the articles your peers posted have a different perspective than yours? Why or why not? Next convince your peers why police departments should or should not be defunded. Include at least piece of academic research or government data to support your defense. Remember to cite your source. If you think that police departments should be defunded remember to include what you would fund instead as part of your defense.
To successfully complete this assignment, view the Discussion Rubric document.
