To the OP's point, between American, Catholic, George Washington, Georgetown, Howard, and UDC we have six universities within DC that the city could negotiate scholarship terms with. Why not create three scholarships per year per school and graduate 18 new contracted DC 'civil servants' a year to beef up DC forecasted talent gaps. What would that cost? Maybe $1.8 million per year group? How would that not be money well spent?

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think you understand “defund police”

Police should do police work, that is what defund police means.

9 out of 10 calls fo not require a police officer.

They should not be directing traffic.
They should not interview rape/child abuse victims... in moco for example trained psychologist interview child abuse victims.. not cops.
They should not do 90% of traffic stops
They should not do parking violations (some areas don’t have cops do this some do)
They should not do shop lifting calls, corporations should have security file reports... many places already do this
They should not work in the courts... scheduling court time for police
They should not be in charge of car repairs. (Yep they run their own shop most places)
They should only assist in mental health calls when needed (of course you only see the ones where they “are needed” it’s rare)
They should not be policing cars for operability.
They should not be secretaries for the prosecutor’s office.
They should not get overtime for court.
Accident reconstruction does not require a gun and a badge.
Recruiting does not require a gun and a badge


We also need to fund training so cops that hate the job can be retrained to find a job more suitable.

You are doing that thing where you realize you have no argument so you cherry pick from around the country in an attempt to shroud yourself in reasonability.

DC police don't do half the things you just mentioned. The OP is talking about DC. Don't sell Ddot and DMV services here as police functions when they are not.

If you want to lobby for a logical reapportioning of public jobs in DC. I think we would all be for it. But don't argue for defunding the police.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think you understand “defund police”

Police should do police work, that is what defund police means.

9 out of 10 calls fo not require a police officer.

They should not be directing traffic.
They should not interview rape/child abuse victims... in moco for example trained psychologist interview child abuse victims.. not cops.
They should not do 90% of traffic stops
They should not do parking violations (some areas don’t have cops do this some do)
They should not do shop lifting calls, corporations should have security file reports... many places already do this
They should not work in the courts... scheduling court time for police
They should not be in charge of car repairs. (Yep they run their own shop most places)
They should only assist in mental health calls when needed (of course you only see the ones where they “are needed” it’s rare)
They should not be policing cars for operability.
They should not be secretaries for the prosecutor’s office.
They should not get overtime for court.
Accident reconstruction does not require a gun and a badge.
Recruiting does not require a gun and a badge


We also need to fund training so cops that hate the job can be retrained to find a job more suitable.

well maybe you should stop using the slogan “defund the police” since nobody understands it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It will end up the same way as when Reagan defunded the mental health institutions.

But that was due to the ACLU and many on the left complaining about institutions violating civil liberties (well, and the fact that health care was considered to be a state function).

The idea that it is compassionate to remove all constraints on people's behavior is mis-guided. Same for both issues. Let's bring back mental health institutions (adding more substance abuse treatment) and it will help the policing problem.

I think you mean bring back mental health treatment and institutions for those that need it.

You don’t want to go back to institutionalizing people with Down’s syndrome.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It will end up the same way as when Reagan defunded the mental health institutions.

But that was due to the ACLU and many on the left complaining about institutions violating civil liberties (well, and the fact that health care was considered to be a state function).

The idea that it is compassionate to remove all constraints on people's behavior is mis-guided. Same for both issues. Let's bring back mental health institutions (adding more substance abuse treatment) and it will help the policing problem.

yes to all of this.

Seriously. As stated earlier in this thread. Why can't we have both? Increased policing and increased social services?

Money? Then make other cuts...or finally start collecting on MD and VA traffic violations in the District.

I don’t think you understand “defund police”

Police should do police work, that is what defund police means.

9 out of 10 calls fo not require a police officer.

They should not be directing traffic.
They should not interview rape/child abuse victims... in moco for example trained psychologist interview child abuse victims.. not cops.
They should not do 90% of traffic stops
They should not do parking violations (some areas don’t have cops do this some do)
They should not do shop lifting calls, corporations should have security file reports... many places already do this
They should not work in the courts... scheduling court time for police
They should not be in charge of car repairs. (Yep they run their own shop most places)
They should only assist in mental health calls when needed (of course you only see the ones where they “are needed” it’s rare)
They should not be policing cars for operability.
They should not be secretaries for the prosecutor’s office.
They should not get overtime for court.
Accident reconstruction does not require a gun and a badge.
Recruiting does not require a gun and a badge


We also need to fund training so cops that hate the job can be retrained to find a job more suitable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It will end up the same way as when Reagan defunded the mental health institutions.

But that was due to the ACLU and many on the left complaining about institutions violating civil liberties (well, and the fact that health care was considered to be a state function).

The idea that it is compassionate to remove all constraints on people's behavior is mis-guided. Same for both issues. Let's bring back mental health institutions (adding more substance abuse treatment) and it will help the policing problem.

yes to all of this.

Agree. It was an unholy alliance of the right (defunding) and the left (civil liberties) and the result is that now the mentally are "free" to live on the streets in squalor unless or until they become an imminent threat to someone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It will end up the same way as when Reagan defunded the mental health institutions.

But that was due to the ACLU and many on the left complaining about institutions violating civil liberties (well, and the fact that health care was considered to be a state function).

The idea that it is compassionate to remove all constraints on people's behavior is mis-guided. Same for both issues. Let's bring back mental health institutions (adding more substance abuse treatment) and it will help the policing problem.

yes to all of this.

Anonymous wrote:It will end up the same way as when Reagan defunded the mental health institutions.

But that was due to the ACLU and many on the left complaining about institutions violating civil liberties (well, and the fact that health care was considered to be a state function).

The idea that it is compassionate to remove all constraints on people's behavior is mis-guided. Same for both issues. Let's bring back mental health institutions (adding more substance abuse treatment) and it will help the policing problem.

Thank you for your post. My husband and I were struck by Trayvon White saying the same thing, as other members on the Council tried to "liberal-splain" whats best for the city vis a vis policing. It also touched my heart what you said about leaving the neighborhood (ie seeking opportunities in the broad world) not being considered an accomplishment. I had a student who was doing just that- getting away from trouble and working hard for a degree- who was killed visiting his ailing mom on the porch in his old neighnorhood. Its like he just wasnt allowed to dream of something different .

Anonymous wrote:Define the police is maybe unfortunate terminology but where I am the police budget is crushing. They are 99.9 percent hard working public servants but they are too too too expensive.

If we don't pull back the only people left to be policed.will be other police.

Where are you where 99.9% effectiveness is not "good enough"? If I could double the police budget in DC and get those results I would do it tomorrow.

The police budget is hardly crushing. We can be smarter and figure this out.

It will end up the same way as when Reagan defunded the mental health institutions.

Meant defund the police is unfortunate terminology.

Define the police is maybe unfortunate terminology but where I am the police budget is crushing. They are 99.9 percent hard working public servants but they are too too too expensive.

If we don't pull back the only people left to be policed.will be other police.

OP. Great post, but I have to ask.

DC is an "experimental" city run by people who have great ideas but come from across the country with an education, money and an idea with no experience. Ward 2 is literally represented by somebody who came here on an internship and a year later asked dad to finance a non contested campaign. She now represents DC.

So that being said, DC is not the city you left in the 90's. Why did you return? The city is run by big city people with big city experimental ideas and no real skin in the game to have an interest to see things work out. Basically everybody is here to suck up their PhD experimentation and move on watching the mushroom cloud in the rear view mirror. Nobody on the city council cares. They want to enact nationwide leading "woke" legislation in order to get their names published but they do not care at the end of the day about DC. They will move on as easily as they came.

So OP, watching from afar as you matriculated through life. Why are you surprised? You have returned to the petri dish. Fortunately you have the means to keep your kids you dragged along, on the sidelines, but welcome back. Now either jump in and get involved or watch the woke left continue their experiment. I am guessing you will remain silent and watch the grand experiment we call DC.