Jun 8
2020
Ali Ingersoll discusses protests on WGRZ
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Michael Wooten quizzed Ali Ingersoll Monday on her impressions of ongoing protests and the change demonstrators are seeking. She said demonstrations calmed down through the course of the week and that protestors are clear on the change they seek: major reform of the police department.
Ingersoll also explained the dynamics of “defunding police,” which is an effort to recast how public safety services are delivered and reallocate resources accordingly.
The New York Times published a good primer on it this evening.
Calls to defund police departments are generally seeking spending cuts to police forces that have consumed ever larger shares of city budgets in many cities and towns.
Many activists want money now spent on overtime for the police or on buying expensive equipment for police departments to be shifted to programs related to mental health, housing and education — areas that the activists say with sufficient money could bring about systemic societal change and cut down on crime and violence.
Ingersoll has been in the front lines of covering demonstrations for Investigative Post and our partners at WGRZ since they began a week ago Saturday. Check out her Twitter feed for details.
Her recent reporting includes stories on the arraignment of two Buffalo police officers on felony changes related to a head injury suffered by a protester Thursday and the mass resignation of members of the police department’s Emergency Response Team the following day.
For more coverage, read Jim Heaney’s column posted earlier Monday on what reforms might involve.
