Pastor Darrell Scott testified Wednesday during the House Judiciary Committee’s hearing on police brutality, saying calls from activist groups and some politicians to defund the police make “no sense.”
“I want to begin by stating that the prospect of defunding and, or dismantling police forces across the country is one of the most unwise, irresponsible proposals by American politicians in our nation’s history, and makes absolutely no sense at all, at least to me,” Scott said.
Activist groups such as Black Lives Matter, and some democratic politicians have called for police departments to be defunded in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Scott, a supporter of President Donald Trump, said the slogan was an “effort to garner votes” ahead of the 2020 election. (RELATED: Will Defunding The Police Work? Here’s What History Tells Us)
“I believe it is nothing short of the politicizing of current social events in an effort to garner votes during this election season,” Scott added. “I also believe that it’s a reactionary measure that can and will result in short and long term damage to American society, particularly in our inner city and urban communities.”
Democrats don’t want you to see this video. This is what happens when you defund the police in black communities: pic.twitter.com/HEU1w5X8iK
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) June 10, 2020
A “veto-proof” majority of the Minneapolis City Council announced plans this past weekend to abolish the city’s police force after four former Minneapolis police officers were charged in connection to Floyd’s death. (RELATED: Potential Biden VP Pick Val Demings Calls Proposal To Defund The Police ‘Very Thoughtful’)
The House Judiciary Committee called Wednesday’s hearing on police brutality in response to Floyd’s death, and the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to hold a similar hearing next week.
Congressional Democrats introduced legislation earlier this week that would ban police chokeholds, prohibit no-knock warrants for drug related offenses and establish a National Police Misconduct Registry, among other things. Republican South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott also outlined a proposal Tuesday, which would tie federal police funding to de-escalation tactics, and the presence of body cameras, among other things.