@VOTAQuestionsCriminal IssuesDefunding the Police6yrs ago

Should funding for local police departments be redirected to social and community based programs?

Name: Should funding for local police departments be redirected to social and community based programs? — Public Opinion Poll Results
Creator: VOTA
License: https://eu.vota.com/terms-of-use
Keywords: Should funding for local police departments be redirected to social and community based programs?, Crime, public opinion, poll results, survey

Should EU countries redirect some police funding to community-based programs?

“Defund the police” is a slogan that supports divesting funds from police departments and reallocating them to non-policing forms of public safety and community support, such as social services, youth services, housing, education, healthcare and other community resources.

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x European Union

Political party

Party of the European Left

Ideology

Answer Overview

Response rates from 1.3k European Union voters.

51% Yes	49% No
49% Yes	43% No
1% Yes, replace police with unarmed community based responders for non-violent calls	7% No, increase funding and training for police departments in higher crime rate communities
0% Yes, and abolish the police

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 1.3k European Union voters.

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Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 1.3k European Union voters.

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Latest News

Stay up-to-date on the most recent “Defunding the Police” news articles, updated frequently.

@D3fenceAndy from Georgia linked…3yrs3Y

Voters replace at least three anti-cop members of Seattle City Council

Four seats held by progressives were won by candidates running on an anti-crime platform. Two others are still up for grabs, with another vacancy to be filled next year by the next City Council. Including Councillor-at-large Sara Nelson, who wasn’t up for a vote this year, moderates will now hold at least five of nine seats on what was arguably the most progressive City Council in America before this vote.Roy Hollingsworth campaigned on hiring more police and beat progressive Alex Hudson 53% to 47%. The seat was formerly held by radical socialist Kshama Sawant.Rob Saka campaigned on “bringing our police back to full capacity and staffing levels” and defeated progressive Maren Costa 54% to 45%. He’ll replace Lisa Herbold, who had sought a legal pass for misdemeanors committed under the “duress” of poverty or substance abuse. Cathy Moore won in a rout over progressive ChrisTiana ObeySumner, who opposed prosecuting drug use. Incumbent Andrew Lewis, who had voted to cut police funding, conceded to moderate Bob Kettle.One incumbent who held his seat is Dan Strauss, who voted in favor of a 2022 city budget that cut police funding for a second year in a row. But in campaign mailers this year Mr. Strauss admitted that “defund the police was a mistake,” and he defeated challenger Pete Hanning 52% to 47%.

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@ISIDEWITH submitted…1yr1Y

Poilievre Targets Carney in Ethics Showdown Ahead of Election

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is intensifying his attacks on Liberal Leader Mark Carney, accusing him of ethical conflicts and promising sweeping reforms if elected. Poilievre has pledged to ban 'shadow lobbying' and require political candidates to disclose their tax history for the past seven…

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@ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...…2yrs2Y

Should the government incentivize the construction of affordable housing?

Yes

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@ISIDEWITH asked…4yrs4Y

Should the United States provide military supplies and funding to Ukraine?

On February 24 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that began in 2014. The invasion caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II, with around 7.1 million Ukrainians fleeing the country and a third of the population displaced. It has also caused…

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@ISIDEWITH submitted…1yr1Y

Canada Heads to the Polls: Poilievre vs. Carney in High-Stakes Election

Canada is officially in election mode after Prime Minister Mark Carney visited the Governor General to dissolve Parliament, setting the stage for a federal vote on April 28. The race is shaping up as a battle between Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and Liberal leader Carney, both promising change…

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@ISIDEWITH asked…2yrs2Y

What changes would you expect in society if humorous or satirical political parties gained more power?

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Active 2 days ago

@ISIDEWITH submitted…1yr1Y

Trump Shock: "Canada As 51st State"

Trump suggests Canada should become the 51st U.S. statePresident makes statement from Oval Office during discussion of trade issuesTrump cites trade deficits with Canada as ongoing concernMultiple conversations reported between Trump and Prime Minister TrudeauCanada has announced 25% retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goodsTrudeau and Trump scheduled follow-up afternoon discussionChina enters trade dispute picture with WTO case threatChinese government promises "corresponding countermeasures"Trump expresses uncertainty about Canadian options to avoid tariffsInternational trade tensions escalating on multiple fronts

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About This Data

Based on 1.3k responses to this question.

These results come from VOTA's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

VOTA is non-partisan — we don't advocate for any party, candidate, or position. We report what the public tells us.

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VOTA. (2026). “Should funding for local police departments be redirected to social and community based programs?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 24, 2026, from https://eu.vota.com/polls/4366038820

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<p style="font:13px sans-serif;margin:.4em 0"><a href="https://eu.vota.com/polls/4366038820">Should funding for local police departments be redirected to social and community based programs? &mdash; VOTA Poll</a></p>

Should funding for local police departments be redirected to social and community based programs?

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Answer Overview

Historical Support

Historical Importance

Other Popular Answers

Latest News

Voters replace at least three anti-cop members of Seattle City Council

Popular Conversations

Poilievre Targets Carney in Ethics Showdown Ahead of Election

Yes

Should the United States provide military supplies and funding to Ukraine?

Canada Heads to the Polls: Poilievre vs. Carney in High-Stakes Election

What changes would you expect in society if humorous or satirical political parties gained more power?

Trump Shock: "Canada As 51st State"

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