CRAIG MELVIN WILL LEAD OUR
COVERAGE ON MSNBC OF GEORGE
FLOYD’S FUNERAL IN HOUSTON.
AMONG THE PROPOSALS IN THE
DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATION, NO
CHOKEHOLDS, BODY CAMERAS FOR ALL
POLICE OFFICERS, BUT ONE FLASH
POINT IN THE COUNTRY AND WITHIN
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HAS BEEN
THIS IDEA OF DEFUNDING THE
POLICE.
JOE BIDEN AND TOP DEMOCRATS ON
THE HILL ARE PUSHING BACK ON
CALLS FROM PROGRESSIVE ACTIVISTS
TO DEFUND THE POLICE.
THE PRESIDENT AND HIS ALLIES NOW
ARE USING THE MOVEMENT TO PAINT
DEMOCRATS AS SOFT ON CRIME.
HERE IS THE PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE,
AGAIN EXPLAINING HIS OPPOSITION.
>> YOU SUPPORT DEFUNDING THE
POLICE?
>> NO, I DON’T SUPPORT DEFUNDING
THE POLICE.
I SUPPORT CONDITIONING FEDERAL
AID TO POLICE BASED ON WHETHER
OR NOT THEY MEET CERTAIN BASIC
STANDARDS OF DECENCY AND
HONORABLENESS AND ABLE TO
DEMONSTRATE THEY CAN PROTECT THE
COMMUNITY AND EVERYBODY IN THE
COMMUNITY.
>> MULTIPLE SOURCES TELLING
POLITICO THAT MAJORITY WHIP JIM
CLYBURN OF SOUTH CAROLINA TOLD
DEMOCRATS IN A PRIVATE CALL TO
AVOID BEING DRAWN INTO THE
DEBATE OVER DEFUNDING THE
POLICE.
SO THIS DISCUSSION, OBVIOUSLY
PROGRESSIVE ACTIVISTS HAVE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT DEFUNDING THE
POLICE, IT’S BEEN A SEMANTIC
ARGUMENT ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
MINNEAPOLIS CITY VOTE THEY SAID
WE WANT TO DISMANTLE THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
SO WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST
REROUTING FUNDS TO SOCIAL
PROGRAMS, BUT, IN FACT,
DISMANTLING THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
IS THIS A DANGEROUS PLACE FOR
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO BE WHEN
THEY HAVE PUBLIC OPINION ON
THEIR SIDE RIGHT NOW, WHEN THEY
HAVE THE ENERGY IN THE STREETS
TO BE TALKING ABOUT TAKING MONEY
AWAY FROM THE POLICE ENTIRELY?
>> IT CAN BE POLITICALLY,
WILLIE, BUT IT ALSO REVEALS THAT
WE ARE JUST SIMPLY IN THE EYE OF
THE STORM.
THAT THE DIVISIONS IN THE
COUNTRY ARE GOING TO BE MADE
MANIFEST AS WE CONTINUE TO TRY
TO IMAGINE A NEW AMERICA.
LET’S BE CLEAR, WE HAVE EXAMPLES
OF DISBANDING POLICE
DEPARTMENTS, ONE JUST RECENTLY
IN 2017 IN CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY,
AND WE HAVE REPORTS EVEN IN THE
"NEW YORK TIMES" ABOUT THE WAY
IN WHICH THAT MOVE HAS IMPACTED
THE NOTION OF PUBLIC SAFETY, THE
EXPERIENCE OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN
THAT VERY TROUBLED CITY IN SOME
WAYS.
WHAT’S TROUBLING ABOUT JOE
BIDEN’S RESPONSE AND JIM
CLYBURN’S RESPONSE IS THAT
THEY’RE NOT DEALING WITH THE
SUBSTANCE OF THE CLAIM THEY’RE
THINKING ABOUT THE POLITICS AND
THE OPTICS, RIGHT.
IT SEEMS THAT BIDEN NEEDS TO BE
VERY, VERY CLEAR THAT WHAT
DEFUNDING IS ABOUT IS A JUSTICE
REINVESTMENT MOVEMENT,
REDIRECTING FUNDS.
TO THINK ABOUT POLICING IN THE
CONTEXT OF TOUGH ON CRIME,
POLICE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE WAR
ON DRUG HAS LED TO AN EXPLOSION
OF BUDGETS.
54% OF THE BUDGET IN LOS
ANGELES.
WE CAN GO ON AND ON.
BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT PUBLIC
SAFETY IN A DIFFERENT WAY, NOT
WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE WAR ON
DRUGS OR TOUGH ON CRIME OR THE
CRIMINALIZATION OF A PARTICULAR
SET OF COMMUNITIES.
WHEN WE BEGIN TO THINK OF PUBLIC
SAFETY MORE BROADLY WE WANT TO
REINVEST THOSE MONEYS IN
EDUCATION, MENTAL HEALTH, IN
SOCIAL WORK, IN HOUSING, AND A
RANGE OF POLICIES THAT ARE NOT
FUNDED AT THE SAME LEVEL.
THAT SEEMS TO ME SOMETHING THAT
JOE BIDEN SHOULD EMBRACE.
SO HE MIGHT WANT TO DISTANCE
HIMSELF FROM THE SLOGAN, BUT HE
SHOULDN’T DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM
THE SUBSTANCE OF THE POLICY IT
SEEMS TO ME.
>> EDDIE, IT’S INTERESTING YOU
BRING UP BUDGETING ENDING IN
2019 OVER A FIVE-YEAR SPAN,
$40 BILLION GOING TO THE NYPD,
$6,000,000,007,000,000,000 GOING
TO HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING
DEVELOPMENT.
SO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT
COMPARISON WITHIN THE NEW YORK
POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WHY SO
MANY FOLKS ARE IN THE STREETS
YOU’RE ASKING FOR REALLOCATING
FUNDS, AT LEAST HERE IN NEW
YORK, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE A LOT OF
FOLKS SAYING DEFUNDING THE
POLICE IS NOT GOING TO ACHIEVE
WHAT PROTESTERS WANT.
AT LEAST A PROFESSOR IN POLICING
EQUITY AT THE COLLEGE OF JOHN
JAY CRIMINAL JUSTICE SPOKE TO
RACHEL MADDOW ABOUT THE PLANS TO
DISMANTLE THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS
AND EXPLAINS WHY SIMPLY
DEFUNDING THEM WOULD NOT PRODUCE
THE RESULTS MANY PROTESTERS ARE
CALLING FOR.
WATCH THIS.
>> WE’RE SEEING PEOPLE MOVE
TOWARDS ABOLITION, BUT IT’S
ABOUT NOT HAVING NO POLICE, BUT
MAKING SURE AGAIN THAT
COMMUNITIES HAVE THE RESOURCES
SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE LESS OF A
FOOTPRINT OF POLICE.
SO I’LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING ME THE
LAST COUPLE DAYS IF WE DEFUND
THE POLICE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU
CALL 911?
IF SOMETHING IS ON FIRE YOU CALL
911, WHO SHOWS UP?
IT’S THE FIRE TRUCK.
AND IF SOMEBODY IS HAVING A
HEART ATTACK, YOU CALL 911 AND
THE EMT SHOWS UP.
SO WE HAVE 911 GIVING LOTS OF
DIFFERENT EMERGENCY SERVICES.
IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF
SOMEONE WAS OVERDOSING OR A
COUPLE WAS HAVING A DISAGREEMENT
THEY DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO RESOLVE
OR A KID WASN’T FEELING SAFE IF
YOU COULD CALL MENTAL HEALTH,
CHILD PROTECTIVE RESOURCES,
SUBSTANCE ABUSE RESOURCES, IF
THE SOURCES THAT PEOPLE NEEDED
SO THEY DIDN’T RELY ON LAW
ENFORCEMENT WERE THERE, IF 911
HAD MORE OPTIONS, COMMUNITIES
WOULD FEEL SAFER AND YOU
WOULDN’T INTRODUCE A LAW AND GUN
IN SITUATIONS THAT LAW
ENFORCEMENT CAN’T BE TRAINED FOR
IN THE FIRST PLACE AND THEY’VE
BEEN CALLING TO GET OUT OF THE
BUSINESS OF FOR YEARS.
THAT’S WHAT THE MAJORITY OF
PEOPLE THAT I TALK TO WANT, THEY
WANT MORE RESOURCES FOR
COMMUNITIES, SO COMMUNITIES MAKE
THE DECISION ABOUT WHEN
SOMETHING HAS GOTTEN VIOLENT
ENOUGH THAT A BADGE AND GUN IS
APPROPRIATE.
IF YOU DEFUND THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT AND TAKE AWAY 50% OF
THE PERSONNEL, RIGHT, WHICH I’M
HEARING PEOPLE SAY, SLASH IT,
50% OUT.
THERE IS NO UNION CONTRACT IN
THE UNITED STATES THAT SAYS
ANYTHING OTHER THAN LAST IN,
ALSO FIRST OUT.
THAT MEANS, IF YOU’RE TRYING TO
CUT IT, YOU’RE GETTING RID OF
THE YOUNGEST OFFICERS WHO ARE
ALSO THE MOST PROGRESSIVE, THE
MOST INTERESTED IN CULTURE
CHANGE.
SO IF YOU DON’T END UP FOLLOWING
A ROAD MAP AND LOOKING FOR WAYS
TO CUT THE RIGHT OFFICERS AND