Defund the police

Introduction
Pros
- Pro 1: Police departments are oppressive and violent; defunding them would reduce violence against people of color and overall crime.
- Pro 2: Police department reforms have failed; police departments cannot be reformed, only curtailed.
- Pro 3: Police were not intended to do many of the jobs they perform; defunding the police would allow experts to step in.
Cons
- Con 1: When police department budgets are cut, violence and civilian injuries increase, and departments turn to “taxation by citation” to raise money.
- Con 2: The level of police misconduct is overstated, crime-ridden areas are calling for more (not fewer) police, and police reform (not defunding) is both possible and supported by a majority of Americans.
- Con 3: Police departments should not be disbanded but held to standardized national regulations, which should comply with international human rights laws.
Assessment quiz
1-minute survey
Discussion questions
Sources

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Should U.S. police departments be defunded?

A Black Lives Matter protest

Defund the police: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

The Editors of ProCon
ProCon's editors write and verify new content and update existing content. ProCon presents the pro and con arguments to debatable issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, freely accessible way.

Article History

Type	Description	Contributor	Date
	Discussion questions standardized.	The Editors of ProCon	Jul 23, 2026
	Quiz added.	The Editors of ProCon	Feb 20, 2026
	Photo added.	The Editors of ProCon	Feb 10, 2026
	Survey added.	The Editors of ProCon	May 07, 2025
	Link added.	The Editors of ProCon	Feb 05, 2025
	Links added.	The Editors of ProCon	Feb 03, 2025
	New article added.	The Editors of ProCon	Nov 08, 2024