On Defunding/Replacing the Police in Richmond, CA

This package of articles and comments addresses policing today, the left’s program of defunding/replacing, how it was accomplishThis package of articles and comments by Mike Parker, Shiva Mishek, and Steve Early address the conditions they found necessary to succeed in replacing the police in several functions (including in violence reduction and responding to mental health emergencies and houselessness). Most important the new programs will be staffed with public workers with full benefits mostly funded by cuts in police numbers and budget. The conditions for this success include a supportive city council and police chief and a strong left movement capable of analyzing the city budget and building community support. 

  • Top Cop
    Steve Early Posted October 15, 2021 As police chief of gritty Richmond, California, Chris Magnus embraced Black Lives Matter, all but eliminated fatal shootings by police, and cut the homicide rte in half In my nearly fifty years of picketing and protesting for one cause or another, I’ve learned that brushes with police officers, much… Read more: Top Cop
  • How Richmond Steered Public Money Away From Police to Human Needs
    Mike Parker & Shiva Mishek Posted October 15, 2021 Since the George Floyd uprising, discussion of how to shift public resources away from police budgets and toward human needs has been on the lips of millions. Few of those millions, however, are aware of what’s happened in Richmond, California. Over the past year, the city… Read more: How Richmond Steered Public Money Away From Police to Human Needs