The Abolition Working Group was formed in response to the police murder of George Floyd in May of 2020. In connecting national issues to issues here in Milwaukee, the DSA voted to work towards defunding MPD, with the ultimate goal of abolishing MPD.

MPD has terrorized Black and Brown communities in Milwaukee, resulting in the senseless deaths of Dontre Hamilton, Sylville Smith, Joel Acevedo, and many others. They are beyond reform. It is clear that the police are here to protect the interests of those in power, protect property, and funnel people into the prison–industrial complex. They were never meant to protect us, and they cannot solve the problems that racial capitalism has created.

DSA believes that we can build a community where the police are obsolete by diverting funds away from policing and towards resources that actually keep us safe (i.e., housing, schools, public transportation, and health services). This budget cycle, the Milwaukee DSA, along with many other grassroots organizations (BLOC, LIT, African American Roundtable), is calling to defund the police by $75 million dollars.

The working group is open to all members with a shared interest in defunding the police and rebuilding our community.