FACT CHECK #KYCMMN31

WHAT WE FOUND

The claim that every police department in the United States has been defunded is factually incorrect and directly contradicted by budget data. Multiple high-credibility sources indicate that overwhelmingly, cities and counties across the country have not defunded their police departments 9 10. In fact, a majority of police agencies increased their budgets despite the political movement 10. A study of over 400 American cities found no evidence of mass defunding 4. While approximately 20 major cities initially reduced or redirected portions of their police budgets, at least 14 of those jurisdictions scaled back or reversed those cuts in subsequent budget cycles 2 7. Furthermore, 90% of police departments are currently grappling with staffing shortfalls, which experts attribute to various factors rather than a universal loss of funding 1.

SOURCES

1. 1 · abc3340.comFACT-CHECKER
   Fact Check Team: Cities that called to 'defund police' grappling with crime surge boost po

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2. 2 · politifact.comFACT-CHECKER
   U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan blamed calls to "defund the police" for a shortage of "good people" becoming police officers. He pointed to cuts from New York City to Austin, Texas. But some cities later scaled back the proposed cuts or reversed course.

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3. 3 · wral.comFACT-CHECKER
   Fact check: Did U.S. cities cut police funding by $1 billion?

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4. 4 · therealnews.comACADEMIC
   Nobody defunded the police: A study

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5. 5 · brookings.eduACADEMIC
   7 myths about "defunding the police" debunked | Brookings

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6. 6 · americanprogressaction.orgNEWS
   Busting the ‘Defund the Police’ Myth - Center for American Progress Action

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7. 7 · theguardian.comNEWS
   These US cities defunded police: 'We're transferring money to the community' | US policing | The Guardian

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8. 8 · en.wikipedia.orgWEB
   Defund the police - Wikipedia

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9. 9 · abcnews.comWEB
   Despite 'defunding' claims, police funding has increased in many US cities - ABC News

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10. 10 · abc11.comWEB
    A majority of police agencies across the U.S. increased budgets despite 'defund' movement | abc11.com

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