Biden’s Campaign Distances Itself From Push to Defund Police Departments

In the wake of 👤George Floyd’s death, a new push to defund police departments has sprung up.

And Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s (D) campaign says the former vice president is not on board with that push.

In a statement on Monday, Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said, “As his criminal justice proposal made clear months ago, Vice President Biden does not believe that police should be defunded.”

“He hears and shares the deep grief and frustration of those calling out for change, and is driven to ensure that justice is done and that we put a stop to this terrible pain,” Bates added.

He continued:

“Biden supports the urgent need for reform — including funding for public schools, summer programs, and mental health and substance abuse treatment separate from funding for policing — so that officers can focus on the job of policing. This also means funding community policing programs that improve relationships between officers and residents, and provides the training that is needed to avert tragic, unjustifiable deaths.”

Read the statement below:

Bates’ statement comes shortly after Tim Murtaugh, the Communications Director for President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign, claimed that Biden supported defunding police departments.