'Defund Cities That Defund The Police,' Rep. Fitzpatrick Says

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick of Bucks County has reintroduced legislation that would prevent jurisdictions that "defund the police" from receiving certain federal grants.

Under the "Defund Cities that Defund the Police Act", a jurisdiction that abolishes or disbands the police department, or significantly reduces the police department's budget without reallocating a portion of that money to another community policing program, would be prohibited from receiving certain Economic Development Administration grants or Community Development Block Grant funds.

"At a time when police departments and our men and women in blue around the country are being threatened by certain politicians and movements to defund or abolish the police, steps must be taken to ensure that state and local governments do not legitimize or bow to the will of the dangerously misguided ‘Defund the Police’ movement," Rep. Fitzpatrick said. "Our support for the men and women of law enforcement, who put their lives on the line on a daily basis for our communities, must be clear. This legislation would prevent jurisdictions that defund the police from receiving certain federal grants, preventing specific federal taxpayer dollars from bankrolling jurisdictions who intentionally make their communities less safe."

The bill was introduced in July 2020 but failed to make it out of committee. The legislation also has the backing of Reps. Jarden Golden (D-Maine), Pete Stauber (R-Minnesota) and Conor Lamb (D-Pennsylvania).

Black Lives Matter activists have used the defund the police slogan to call for budget reductions and to delegate certain police duties to social service organizations. The movement gained momentum during the George Floyd protests in May 2020.

A poll by Ipsos and USA Today released in March found that less than 20 percent of people support the movement, and 58 percent oppose it.

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