Writer: Siena Iwasaki Milbauer
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was murdered by police in the streets of Minneapolis. His killing thrust our Minnesota communities into the center of a liberation movement that seeks to create alternatives to policing. The goal is to build public safety initiatives and structures that will actually serve communities, as opposed to creating climates of fear and actively perpetrating harm as our current system of law enforcement does.
This movement existed long before George Floyd’s killing. It grew as a natural response to decades of violence disproportionately perpetrated by police against Black, Brown, and Indigenous bodies, as well as members of our own Minnesotan Asian American community, like Hmong teenager Fong Lee. It is powered by grief for the countless lives lost to police violence, by determination to replace a system that so clearly is not working, and by hope for the possibility of a brighter future for all our communities.
This February, in honor of Black History Month, AAOP will be presenting a collection of content on this endeavor called Abolition. Today, an overview of some abolition basics: what is it, why is it necessary, what would it look like, and how you can learn more and get involved.
What is abolition?
Abolition means different things to different people and organizations. At its core though, abolition work is about divesting from failing police systems and investing in community-based safety solutions.
It is important to note that abolition is a process. It will take time and painstaking work, something that organizers are very much prepared for. As Minnesota abolition organization MPD150 puts it: “Police abolition work is not about snapping our fingers and instantly defunding every department in the world. Rather, we’re talking about a process of strategically reallocating resources, funding, and responsibility away from police and toward community-based models of safety, support, and prevention.”
Why is abolition necessary?
To put it bluntly, abolition is necessary because the police are not keeping our communities safe. Ridiculously, police are framed as a one size fits all solution to all our problems: mental health crises, social safety net failures, substance dependency issues, etc. What we actually need are targeted solutions to these complex challenges.
The police are also frequently the source of violence and trauma in our communities. This is especially true for communities of color. A 2014-2015 Northeastern University study found that Black Americans are two times as likely to be shot and killed by cops compared to their overall population percentage. Statistics on the effects of police intimidation and non-lethal brutality are harder to find because many police departments are not required to report such incidents. However, the pain our communities have experienced over the course of decades speaks for itself. The unavoidable truth is that our current system of law enforcement is unsustainable and it must be overhauled.
Some advocate that the best way forward is police reform, not police abolition. However, historical evidence suggests that meaningful and permanent police reform is not truly an option. Dysfunction, a punitive approach, “protect our own” and “us versus them” mentalities: these things are so deeply entrenched in our police systems that getting them out is next to impossible. The smartest and most promising way forward is to instead re-imagine our approach to public safety without police.
What would abolition look like?
The successful execution of an abolition strategy would result in community safety structures that are created by and for the communities they serve. Unlike the current dangerously generalized “police are the solution to everything” approach, abolition would involve building strategies and support networks that are tailored to specific issues. For instance, people experiencing a major mental health crisis would be able to rely upon mental health experts for help, instead of cops with guns.
Abolition is about approaching community safety in a way that isn’t just about punishment, but also prevention. Why do people steal? Because they do not have access to adequate resources. Why do people commit violent acts? Because they exist in a violent context which has brought them to a desperate place. In order to truly keep our communities safe, we need a full-picture strategy that addresses the root causes as well as the consequences of crime.
Fully envisioning a world without police is still a work in progress. We need everyone to come together to build this brighter future, one step and one idea at a time.
How can I learn more and get involved in abolition work?
In Minnesota, we are fortunate to have many incredible abolition organizations. In particular, Reclaim the Block, MPD 150 and Black Visions have emerged as leaders in the push for abolition not just in Minnesota, but in the entire U.S. If you are interested in diving deeper into abolition learning and/or in getting involved, we recommend you access these organizations’ wealth of resources at the links below.
Reclaim the Block:
Website: https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reclaimtheblock
Instagram: @reclaimtheblock
Twitter: @reclaimtheblock
Other Resources: Reclaim the Block has many wonderful resources on their website, including this one-page summary of the specific Minneapolis police department-focused work for abolition at https://bit.ly/3pr3dJp
MPD 150:
Website: https://www.mpd150.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MPD150
Instagram @mpd_150
Twitter: @MPD_150
Other Resources: MPD 150 has many wonderful offerings on the website, including this amazing list of resources for folks wanting to do deeper reading and learning on abolition at https://www.mpd150.com/resources/
Black Visions:
Black Visions is currently taking space to detox and recenter their organizing. We applaud their humility and self-awareness and look forward to their return to the public sphere. When they are back in full operation, you should be able to find them at the following links.
Website: https://www.blackvisionsmn.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LitBLVC
Instagram: @blackvisionscollective Twitter: @BlackVisionsMN
Sources:
MPD150, “Building a Police-Free Future: Frequently-Asked Questions”, MPD150, 2020. https://www.mpd150.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/MPD150-FAQ-one-sheet-NEW-EDIT.pdf. Accessed 27. Jan. 2021.
Phi, Bao, “Fong Lee: the human cost and the strength of his family”, Star Tribune, 28 Sept. 2010. https://www.startribune.com/fong-lee-the-human-cost-and-the-strength-of-his-family/103979934. Accessed 29 Jan. 2021.
Schumaker, Erin, “What the latest research tells us about racial bias in policing”, ABC News, 5 Jun. 2020. https://abcnews.go.com/US/latest-research-tells-us-racial-bias-policing/story?id=70994421. Accessed 27 Jan. 2021.