Crime has become a top issue for many lately. I had actually started writing an article three years ago on why we need to fund the police and revisited it after the issue impacted me personally. In a single month, I've had two home invasions. They were not opportunistic break-ins but organized by crime rings.
Feeling safe in your home is a fundamental right and, if it's not, then it should be. This article isn't just about my story: After speaking with many of my friends across the U.S. and in Canada, this is about many people's stories.
Many are quick to blame illegal immigrants and criminal tourists for causing an increase in crime, but locals are also exacerbating these problems. In my experience, the police want to help, but their effectiveness has been severely impacted in the last 15 years.
Though the news may have us believe otherwise, it's not that crime rates are worse overall. In fact, the latest data indicates that murder and other violent crime rates have gone down nationally. It's theft and robberies that have gone up.
While funding of police may seem like a political issue during an election year, safety and accountability shouldn't be political at all. Rather, sufficient public safety should be a human right for all people, regardless of geography, income level, race, or other factors.
What I have learned in this process is the district attorney in your community enforces the laws and enables the police to keep your neighborhood safe. That is why it is important to cast your vote and make your voice heard. Your choices matter!
To have a healthy, well-functioning society and government, we need to balance public safety with social justice.
I can understand why, shortly after the murder of George Floyd, roughly 1 in 5 Americans wanted to 'defund' the police. But the aims of this movement can actually be achieved through increasing, not cutting, police funding. Putting more support toward the police will cultivate the trusted community policing we all want, where officers create relationships with community members and everyone works together.
Over the last several years, society's attempt to defund the police has not served anyone well. It's created an environment where morale is low and law enforcement recruiting has become a major challenge.
For some, 'no cops' may be preferred to 'bad cops'—but our aim should be on creating more 'good cops.' The truth is, most people of color feel much safer with a police presence on the streets. A whopping 81% of Black Americans want either the same or an increased amount of police presence on their streets.
Getting more - and better - police is what most Americans want. But recruitment rates are low, thanks to poor pay and concerns about benefits, risks of danger and civil liabilities, and a negative reputation. At the same time, many seasoned law enforcement officials are leaving the field due to resignation or retirement.
More funding will help solve these problems. Here are a few ideas on how we can get there.
Stop making policing political. Policymaking has become a thoughtless activity. It's like policymaking is a game of whack-a-mole, where nothing is being solved, everyone is upset, and extremist ideas have become accepted.
Incentivize the right behavior. The police force must generate revenue for the government. It meets these goals by writing tickets, completing traffic stops, and making arrests. But, this incentivizes financial performance, not protecting and serving.
Instead, let's train officers to build community relationships and track and reward local engagement. Effective policies should benefit both the people and our officers.
Restructure unions to protect good cops, not grant immunity for bad behavior. Unions are supposed to create good working environments, fair pay, and protect employees from mistreatment. They should not protect bad actors. Unions are supposed to be protecting their members but also holding them accountable.
Don't hire bullies into law enforcement. Let's use common sense in hiring law enforcement. If an applicant has a history of domestic violence or other records, they should immediately be ineligible for hiring. Officer recruiting should be rigorous and comprehensive. Psychological evaluations and drug testing are just a few practices that should be commonplace.
Hire more police, not less. Across the nation, officers have an overwhelming workload they cannot handle without becoming burned out, making mistakes, and increasing call response time. Hiring more officers supports neighborhood safety and the notion that police should receive better compensation. Especially with younger generations who tend to move jobs a lot more often, we need to compensate police officers properly to attract and retain them in the field.
Create a web of support. Increase the number of community organizers and social workers educating the public, particularly youth, about morality and the long-term impact that committing crime will have on their life trajectory. We don't talk enough about addressing the root cause of crime at a community level before it becomes a problem.
Reinstate laws that make sense and have consequences for criminals. After my personal experiences with near-home invasions, I believe that today's cops can not fight criminals because the consequences are paid room and board. It's only practical to create better punishments that prevent crime and disrupt recidivism. Reinstating higher bails for burglaries while also using electronic monitoring until a criminal's trial are some propositions.
The bottom line is that it is a human right to live in safe homes and safe neighborhoods, and this requires citizens to organize and engage. It also calls for police to have more resources, training, and a web of support. Let's fund the police properly so we can empower them to do their jobs. After all, they are putting their lives at risk to protect us.
About the author
Ashish Kaushal is the CEO and co-founder of Consciously Unbiased, a nonprofit division of HireTalent that offers one-stop DEI solutions that maximize ROI.
