Cartoonist’s view

prior complaints of excessive force. I also recognize the difficulty of serving the public with a financially weakened and disheartened police department. With less funding, there will likely be large layoffs. An overwhelmed and smaller agency may end up doing more harm than good. The number of potential applicants will likely decrease, as very few people will want a job that does not pay well and is subjected to great personal and professional risk.

I believe, and polling suggests, that those who argue for defunding police actually want reform and good policing. We endorse the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation program, ensuring that agencies and their policies reflect the most modern and progressive 21st-century policing practices that promote community trust and accountability. Federal and state aid to police should be conditioned and/or based on whether basic standards and practices have been met.

Law enforcement is a noble profession. The PCPA supports the professional men and women who honorably serve their communities. The incidents that have occurred in our country and in our commonwealth should not damage the progress that has been made or obstruct the work that must be done to combat injustice and violence in our State. Pennsylvanians need to come together and work against social injustice and make our Commonwealth equally safe for all its citizens. The first responsibility of government is public safety. “Defunding police” is not a viable or practical solution.