These Instagram Graphics Help Explain What 'Defund The Police' Really Means

From Women's Health

• You may have seen people posting about "defunding the police" on social media.

• The "defund the police" movement is about reallocating funds and reimagining the role of police in society.

• Several helpful Instagram graphics have emerged to help make that point.

In the midst of conversations happening about how to end police brutality, you may have seen social media posts calling for local governments to "defund the police." But what does that mean, exactly? It might not be what you initially think at first glance.

A few helpful graphics have emerged to help explain the movement.

What does it mean to "defund the police"?

Defunding the police typically means reallocating some—but not all—of the money away from police departments toward social services in a given community, CNN reports.

Instagrammer @auntsarahdraws broke it all down in easy to digest graphics, looking at data on funding for NYC’s police department, as well as where funds went for other vital services to the city, like homeless services, housing preservation and development, health and hospitals, and youth and community development. The thought is that if the funding that has traditionally gone to the police goes toward these other areas and relevant 911 calls are diverted to EMS and other services, there will be less need for police and, hopefully, less police brutality. Check out her breakdown:

Instagrammer @LaneWood also shared a graphic that points out that sending more funding to police for things like body cams and increased training has only increased the power of the police—not tamped down on police brutality:

The ACLU also provided an easily readable breakdown of fund allocations and how screwy they can be:

Defunding the police doesn’t mean that the police force will be entirely gone, points out @Carrujo.

Instead, it’s breaking down the existing system and rebuilding it, changing which types of calls police respond to and putting more money into social programs to help prevent crime from happening in the first place.

You Might Also Like

• PSA: Our Carb-Loving Keto Cookbook Is 32% Off for a Few More Hours

• This Dynamic Warm-Up Will Help You Prep For Your Best Workout Yet

• These Before-and-After Photos Show How Much Your Body Can Change From Drinking Less Alcohol