The Horrific Raid On Anjanette Young's Home Is Yet Another Reason Why I Support Defunding The Police
Police officers need to be held accountable.
YouTube It has been almost two years since Chicago police officers conducted a botched raid on Anjanette Young’s home.
But, it has only been less than a month since the footage of the raid became available for the public to see.
Chicago police released additional body-cam footage and other documents of the raid on Young’s home in an effort to remain “completely transparent.”
The footage is heartbreaking to watch, and even more heartbreaking to know that the events of the raid could have ended in an unjustified murder — much like Breonna Taylor, who was shot in her home by Kentucky police in another version of a botched raid.
In the released footage, Young is shown being handcuffed by officers while she was still naked.
That is not only traumatizing, but completely unethical.
It is truly disturbing, as you can clearly hear Anjanette Young yelling at the officers that they “have the wrong place” while they either blatantly ignore her or tell her to “be quiet.”
Since the events that transpired in Young’s home between her and Chicago police, she has been very vocal on actions being taken on not only those officers, but police in general.
It’s the same conversations that were happening over the summer after the murder of George Floyd, when thousands of people took to the streets, demanding consequences for the unjust murders of Black people at the hands of police.
This was also around the time when “Defunding The Police” started transforming into a movement.
I am someone who definitely agrees with taking money away from police departments all across America, because there is just too much evidence of police officers using their power to harm communities of color.
Many people are afraid of defunding the police, though, instead calling for police reform. But police reform has been done already, and there cannot be a reform on a system that has existed for too many years and is too broken.
We need to abolish the system as we know it today, and rebuild with current society in mind.
That doesn’t just go for police, but prisons as well, and the entire justice system as a whole.
The truth of the matter is, police aren’t the only responsible party. There are judges, lawyers, detetives, the prison system itself, and also the way former inmates are treated once they are released back into society.
Most crimes in America are fueled by economic standards and ways of living. People are forced to steal and con their way through life because the communities they were raised in couldn’t afford to give them the resources needed to survive.
That’s why defunding the police is so important to me.
It calls for money to be taken out of police budgets and put into low-income communities — because the answer isn’t putting more officers on the streets in places that have high crime rates, but instead creating more jobs, and more educational resources.
Police shouldn’t be responsible for every hiccup that happens, because more often then not, these are incidents that should require mental health experts.
Data has even proven that 9 out 10 calls for service are for nonviolent encounters. And it’s always when police arrive on scene that situations tend to escalate.
Police are trained to use excessive force and have a worst-case-scenario mindset, which is often not the ideal way to handle nonviolent interactions.
Police are seen as antagonists, and are regarded by people of color as people who cause more harm than good.
Instances like Anjanette Young, which fortunately didn’t end in a catastrophe, are reasons why Black and Brown people are always hesitant to dial 911.
Defunding the police is a simple way to give back to communities who have been harrassed by police and the justice system for far too long.
And hopefully, with the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, that conversation can be brought to the table once more.
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Chicago. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Follow her on Instagram.