Is defunding the police realistic? Lawmakers weigh in

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - Police throughout Northern Virginia are not saying much about the "Defund the Police" movement, but lawmakers have plenty to say.

By now, you’ve probably seen the hashtag trending on social media, but some say it’s not realistic. Many lawmakers say communities and residents need police fully funded. 

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One of those communities is in Prince William County. FOX 5's Tisha Lewis spoke with Prince William County Supervisor Andrea Bailey on Wednesday and asked her what defunding police would look like in the county. Ultimately, she says it would never happen.

Even so, it’s already started in some areas of the country.

Many cities are saying social workers will now respond to some 9-1-1 calls and places in Maryland, including Baltimore and Prince George's County, look to take money away from some police projects.

In Prince William County, police haven’t had the same stains as some of their counterparts in other jurisdictions where we’ve heard growing calls to defund law enforcement.

If anything, Bailey says now may be a good time for training, more resources, and police partnerships.

Supporters of the "Defund the Police" movement -- driven by Black Lives Matter -- say it doesn’t mean getting rid of police funding, rather redistributing resources. For example, using some money spent in policing on mental health services.

Even so, in northern Virginia, many police departments, including Prince William County have training for officers on how to respond to situations involving mental health.

Prince William County Supervisor Andrea Bailey says, “'Defund the Police' is not in our vocabulary.“

Interestingly enough, Prince William County Police don’t want to comment on what they described as hypotheticals. It’s likely not a topic police want to discuss but off-camera some say communities need police.