Law enforcement officers in Kansas raided the office of a local newspaper and a journalist’s home on Friday, prompting outrage over what First Amendment experts are calling a likely violation of federal law.
The police department in Marion, Kansas — a town of about 2,000 — raided the Marion County Record under a search warrant signed by a county judge. Officers confiscated computers, cellphones, reporting materials and other items essential to the weekly paper’s operations.
I don’t think they serve no other purpose, but they absolutely need to be reduced in size, responsibility, and especially in power. “Defund the Police” was not the best catchphrase for the movement, but the ideas are valid. Abuse of authority is so deeply ingrained in many departments that they probably cannot be reformed. They need to be replaced with new organizations.
We still need organizations to protect citizens from violence and enforce the laws. Our current police only perform the second of those duties and do not do it well. Heavily armed police with paramilitary training and near immunity from the consequences of their actions are not the answer. The training needs to emphasize de-escalation. negotiation, interviewing, and investigation. These people need to be members of their communities and not an outside force of occupation.
In the long run, we need to eliminate their special protections against prosecution. Anyone in a position of authority needs to be held to a higher standard, not a lower one. It will increase the personal risks and make the positions far less attractive, but with fewer people in them I think we will still be able to find people for the job.