In the wake of George Floyd’s death by the knee of a Minneapolis police officer one month ago, activists across the nation are urging police departments to defund or even disarm. Two police departments in Vermont have responded differently to such demands.
The forum came a day after the Select Board adopted the fiscal year 2021 budget without making cuts to the police department or reallocating funds as requested by a large group of community members during a meeting held via videoconferencing software.
Developing best-practice guidelines, greater review of use-of-force tactics and incidents, a review of policies surrounding no-knock warrants in drug cases, and greater transparency about police misconduct inquiries are all ideas worth exploring in greater detail.
Seventy-seven percent of respondents said they approved of how their local police did their job, according to the Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday. Debate over police reform has been heating up in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
Please remember that what happened in Minneapolis was the action of one bad person and should not be attributed to those police who are our family, friends, neighbors and protectors.
Almost two-thirds of Americans are against defunding law enforcement while 34% agree with the movement, according to an ABC News/Ipsos poll released Friday.
At a press conference Friday, Gov. Phil Scott and Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Schirling both expressed no knowledge of protesters’ week-long establishment of a police-free, “Capital Hill Autonomous Zone” in Seattle, Washington.
A New York Police Department lieutenant apologized to fellow officers for taking a knee with George Floyd protesters in Manhattan, and the president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police said Thursday he will not tolerate officers kneeling with George Floyd protesters.
News of Floyd’s death prompted many to peacefully protest police brutality and violence, but spurred others to commit acts of looting, rioting and violence against police officers.
Vermont progressives would defund, disband unionized police departments and start over.
The event was billed by organizers as a peaceful, socially-distanced event in which all participants were asked to wear masks. It remained calm and peaceful throughout. Virtually everyone wore masks. But attempts to keep social distancing failed as the crowd swelled.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a plan to shift funding away from the city’s police department and toward youth programs Sunday, as activists push for defunding police departments.