why we must defund the police
Defunding police is violence prevention
You might hear, “If we defund police, what happens to rapists & murderers?” Here’s the truth: cops don’t stop violence — they create it. To end violence, we must defund the police.
A new way to end gun violence
We must address the root causes of gun violence to create real safety. The safest places have the most resources, not the most cops.
Housing justice means defunding police
You might be wondering, “If we defund police, who will protect us in our homes?” Here’s the truth: effective public safety requires safe and stable housing, not cops.
Defunding Police Is Food Justice
Defunding police is essential to building a fair food system. Safety means having the right to food, and policing reduces access to food. Feed the people, defund the police.
Decriminalizing Drugs Can Make DC Safer
DC's overdose problem is an emergency. But decriminalization can make all of us safer.
Defunding police protects migrant communities
Police and Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) work together to strengthen the deportation machine and reinforce colonial borders. By defunding MPD, we can make DC safer for all community members, regardless of immigration status.
Cops don’t belong in traffic enforcement
Safer streets for drivers and pedestrians requires smart urban planning and community involvement, not cops and the violence they bring.
Defunding police is reproductive justice
Police are a serious threat to reproductive justice – the right to maintain our bodily autonomy, to have or not have children, and to parent our children in safe and sustainable communities (SisterSong.net).
Reproductive justice is impossible while police continue to exist.
Defunding police supports queer and trans liberation
Cops target queer, trans, and gender-nonconforming folks — especially those who are who are trans, poor, and/or Black or Brown. Defunding police is critical to queer and trans safety and liberation.
Defunding police is environmental justice
Police don’t make our communities safe, but a healthy environment can. By defunding MPD, we can build a city that invests in a healthy environment and that creates safety for all.
An environmentally just world is a world without police.
Cops don’t belong in labor
Cops stand with bosses, not workers. They inflict violence on workers and make it harder for us to build labor power. Defunding MPD will help labor unions build multi-racial working class solidarity and achieve our other goals too.
Violence isn’t a job. Cops aren’t workers!