Rav Arora, an independent young journalist, wrote an article in the Post today. I think some of the numbers he gave, in trying to explain why some black lives didn’t seem to matter in 2020, is telling. Less than half a percent of black lives died in conflicts with the police. In 2020, the homicide rate in 34 cities was 30% higher than the previous year. Those victims were disproportionately African American. More than 1,000 African American lost their lives than in the previous year to homicides. “Violent crime is concentrated in primarily low-income, marginalized black communities where the police are underresourced and Democratic leadership has abysmally failed.” Additionally, 90% of black homicide victims are killed by black offenders! A Gallup poll found that 81 percent of black Americans favored police presence in their neighborhoods. Black residents in the city of Minneapolis have sued for the lack of police protection.
Defunding the NYPD is not the answer. We need more police to protect the high crime communities and protect the most vulnerable. We also need to address the root of crime and why blacks are harming other blacks more than any other group.