AlexG posted:

Demilitarizing the police is important, but so is de-policizing (or whatever) many issues that are currently treated as law enforcement problems - homelessness, addiction, mental health, etc. Often, for people in poor or marginal communities, the police force is the only functioning institution around. Continued lack of political interest in social inclusion has put the burden onto the police, who then apply law enforcement reasoning, or military-based reasoning, to their approach. The last resort - getting the police involved - has become the only option. This also relates to the continued enormous reach of the prison and probation system, particularly among racial minorities, since as soon as your problem starts being treated as a criminal issue, you're at the mercy of the criminal justice system.