Police perceptions of defunding and redirecting calls for service: A qualitative analysis

Abstract

The concept of “defunding the police” calls for municipalities to divert monetary resources away from police departments toward other social services to limit the scope of police response. Although this approach has gained traction, current research fails to gauge how police officers perceive “defunding arguments” and the feasibility of diverting calls to other social service providers. This study utilized 15 semi-structured in-depth interviews to investigate police perceptions of the defund the police movement. Using thematic analysis, we identified three emergent themes across the interviews. These themes included distrust of the police, extended scope of the police, and caution toward redirecting mental health calls away from police departments. This study offers insight into the complexity of diverting mental health calls away from police departments. It also sheds light on the recurring nature of domestic violence responses within their respective communities.