Depends on what defunding means. If it’s the textbook definition of stopping funds entirely [1], then it’s definitely going to increase crime. Only a fraction of criminals turn to it from necessity.
- The Kansas City mob is not operating out of necessity.
- The Mexican cartel is not operating out of necessity.
- Child traffickers are not operating out of necessity.
When someone hears their drunk neighbor beating his spouse, who should be called if there are no police?
Very few people think there should be 0 police officers or zero dollars towards policing. When a homicide happens or an arson happens, yes, there should be a department investigating and diving in.
Domestic violence could be responded to by people who are not police but are instead trained in dealing with this scenario. Domestic violence is generally handled poorly by police (who often struggle to find the aggressor, disbelieve the victim, show up armed and ready for additional conflict, etc.).
I'd much rather have a force that was trained in crisis intervention, drug abuse, and mental health, but who weren't also armed to the teeth, coupled with the prison system, and generally trained to think they are 'warriors'.
- The Kansas City mob is not operating out of necessity.
- The Mexican cartel is not operating out of necessity.
- Child traffickers are not operating out of necessity.
When someone hears their drunk neighbor beating his spouse, who should be called if there are no police?
1. https://www.wordnik.com/words/defund