The Majority of Americans Don’t Want to Abolish the Police

According to a recent survey, most Americans do not support the idea of taking money away from law enforcement - especially because they realize it could lead to an increase in crime. The alternatives to policing do not foster a sense of safety for most Americans, despite race or geographic location. While nearly 60% of Americans think police treat white people better than people of color, they still think reform - not abolishment - is the answer to the policing issue. The majority of Americans support body cameras, warning systems for problematic officers, and psychological training rather than just getting rid of the police all together. The majority of Americans want a well-trained police department rather than private or vigilante law enforcement patrolling their communities. Even a majority of Black Americans do not support defunding the police. They support reforming it through restructuring the existing system, more close monitoring of officers' behavior at the first sign of possible problems, and banning officers from using chokeholds and strangleholds - none of which require taking money away from police departments. Black Americans want safer communities and better relationships with the police but understaffed departments or cuts to community-based outreach programs could hinder all of that.