What does 'defund the police' mean?

In the past two months, “defund the police” has surged into the public consciousness as a rallying cry for Black Lives Matter protesters.

It is a divisive phrase, and to some, it is a misleading one.

Critics see it as a call to completely dismantle law enforcement, and not without reason – even Democrats who support calls to “defund the police” have suggested that the phrase is misleading.

“I don’t believe that you should disband police departments,” Congressional Black Caucus chairwoman Rep. Karen Bass told Jake Tapper on CNN. “We need to look at how we are spending the resources and invest m...