Commentary Will Leftists Continue Push to Defund Police, Despite 2020 Murders Spiking by 25% and Arrests Slumping by a Third? By Jenny Beth Martin | May 10, 2021 | 11:52am EDT Police officers stand in riot gear. (Photo credit: Johnny Louis/Getty Images) As supporters of our nation’s law enforcement officers kick off this year’s commemoration of National Police Week, radicals continue to urge demobilization and defunding of police. But a new study shows a clear connection – when policing is reduced, violent crime soars. For those who insist on “following the science,” the evidence is in and the proper policy response is clear: We need more, not less, respect, and funding, for law enforcement efforts.