Getting serious about cops
Pittsburgh “activists” continue to press for a greater reduction in police funding, which, as the mayor proposes, it will be decreased from $114.8 million in 2020 to $111.4 million in 2021 — a reduction of $3.4 million or 2.9%.
At a virtual budget meeting last week, these self-appointed activists said the reduction was not enough. Are these people for real? Their lack of seriousness is mindboggling. They truly do not seem to know the difference between virtue signaling and public policy.
Even the mayor’s spokesperson said that, no, the mayor is not generally for police defunding because less money for the police means fewer cops. Logically, it also means less patrolling, more crime and reduced public safety. Duh.
He did not say: More innocent people will be hurt. But that is the truth of it.
Less funding for cops and fewer cops specifically means less public safety for folks in poor neighborhoods, tough neighborhoods, “emerging” neighborhoods — a result we would have once called regressive and illiberal.
Some of these activists should go door to door and ask people: Do you want less protection? Do you want to call 911 and have no one answer?
City Council members say that’s the opposite of what they hear from constituents. Duh, squared.
The defund the police movement is reckless and irresponsible. Liberals need to say that. They need to proclaim it boldly. Real liberals need to stand up to the left and call its members out. Instead of saying they don’t want to defund the police, but they do want to reimagine policing, liberals should say what is true:
We usually need more cops. We certainly do at this moment. We need to better screen, educate and protect our police, with solid techniques and best practices.
But we surely do not need to demonize, marginalize and cripple our police officers.
We need to give them the tools and resources they need. We need to give them our support.