Policing in the United States has a long and complicated history, rooted in the country’s history of slavery and oppression. The origins of modern policing can be traced back to the slave patrols of the 18th and 19th centuries, which were tasked with capturing and returning runaway slaves to their masters. These patrols, which were made up of white men, often operated with impunity and used brutal methods to control the enslaved population.
As the institution of slavery began to crumble in the mid-19th century, these slave patrols were transformed into formal police departments. The first official police force in the United States was established in Boston in 1838, and other cities soon followed suit. These early police departments were primarily focused on controlling working-class people and people of color, who were seen as a threat to the social and economic order.
The creation of police in the United States was closely tied to the rise of industrial capitalism. As the country transitioned from an agrarian to an industrial economy, the wealthy elite sought to control and exploit the growing urban working class. Police were used to break strikes, suppress labor organizing, and maintain social order. This legacy of policing as a tool of social control continues to this day, as police departments across the country are disproportionately deployed in low-income communities of color.
In recent years, there has been a growing movement for police abolition in the United States. Abolitionists argue that the institution of policing is inherently racist and violent, and that it cannot be reformed or restructured to serve the needs of marginalized communities. Instead, they call for the complete dismantling of the police and the creation of alternative systems of public safety that are based on community-led initiatives and restorative justice.
One of the key arguments for police abolition is the fact that police officers are rarely held accountable for their actions. Despite widespread reports of police brutality and misconduct, the vast majority of officers are never charged with a crime, let alone convicted. This is due in part to the legal protections that are afforded to police officers, as well as the fact that police departments are often reluctant to discipline their own officers.
Another argument for police abolition is the fact that police are often called upon to address social problems that are outside of their purview. For example, police are often called upon to respond to issues related to mental health, homelessness, and addiction, even though they are not trained or equipped to deal with these issues. Abolitionists argue that these problems should be addressed by social services and other community-based organizations, rather than by the police.
The movement for police abolition is rooted in a long history of resistance and struggle against police violence and oppression. It is a call to fundamentally rethink the role of the police in our society and to create a new vision of public safety that is based on community-led initiatives and restorative justice.
To learn more, here is a list of groups that are working toward police abolition: (not a complete list, feel free to add more in the comments)
- Critical Resistance
- Anti-Police Terror Project
- Black Youth Project 100
- Incite! Women of Color Against Violence
- #8toAbolition
- Campaign Zero
- The Black Alliance for Just Immigration
- The National Police Accountability Project
- The National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Committee
- Copwatch
