Should We Defund the Police? Interview with Franklin E. Zimring
Channel: Real Talk Philosophy
Date: 2020-06-10

In preparation for our event on whether or not we should defund the police, I had the opportunity to sit down with Frank Zimring, an American criminologist and Professor of Law at the UC Berkeley School of Law. Zimring specializes in criminal justice and emphasizes the use of empirical research to inform legal policy. He is most recognized for his studies on the determinants of the death rate from violent attacks. Zimring’s most recent book, When Police Kill, investigates how, when, where, and why police use deadly force. He offers his expertise and suggests ways for federal, state, and local governments to reduce killings at minimum costs without risking officers’ lives.

I found this conversation very informative. And Frank makes several assertions that are contrary to many claims and demands of the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Frank asserts that both “defund the police” and “abolish the police” are merely metaphors, that there is no alternative to policing in urban populations, and that calls to actually abolish the police are thoughtless. Rather than abolishing the police, Frank says that our main focus should be on updating policies to make it much less permissible for police officers to use excessive force. Frank says that racism in the police force has a very minor influence on deaths resulting from police shootings, as 53% of police shooting victims in America are white non-hispanic males. 


Join our meetings in person and online at www.hpf.rocks/zoom

--Support--
And if you agree that this sort of space is needed, consider becoming a member. Membership starts at just $3 a month, and supports our team of researchers, designers, presenters, musicians, artists and comes with some awesome benefits like scripts, slides, research, citations, artwork, members-only discussion groups, and entrance into a community of people who love exploring ideas and overcoming social division. 

www.patreon.com/hanoiphilosophyforum