Police reform is mandatory, but the progress we want cannot occur if quality leaders do not have the resources necessary to enact change! Our data on police chief job stress suggests that defunding the police is likely to lead to burnout and turnover. 1/ https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/protests/seattle-police-carmen-best-is-resigning-sources-say/281-c5a9f277-68a7-45f1-b3dc-4c4d616a7458

I understand the drive to defund/abolish the police, but this is not the solution to the underlying issues. When asked directly, chiefs tell us that budget cuts will first impact resources to train officers, followed by personnel. 2/

This is problematic considering staff shortages, personnel issues, feeling like they are always on the job, bureaucratic red tape, and frequent negative comments from the public were the top 5 job stressors among a national sample of 741 police chiefs from 29 states.

Even when we have progressive chiefs like former Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields who are trying to engage harmed communities to listen to their ideas for reform...