Demanding Transformation Vs. Reforms in Policing

FEATURING ROSA CLEMENTE – Within just two weeks of mass protests against racist police brutality, the once-radical demand to “Defund the Police,” has become a rallying cry receiving mainstream attention. News media and politicians are now asking, ‘what does it actually mean to defund police departments?’ as a serious question.

The Minneapolis City Council has already announced its majority decision to disband its city’s notorious police department – a remarkable step. The city of Los Angeles became one of the first to cut its police budget – albeit by a modest sliver.

But there is a debate over the idea of reforming police versus radically changing them. For those millions of Americans newly activated and accepting of the idea that Black Lives Matter, answering the question of reform versus transformation while interest is high, is a critical issue.

Rosa Clemente is the Executive Director of the Black-Latinx Organizing Project, a producer and an independent journalist based in Albany, NY. She is also a news correspondent for Rising Up With Sonali.