those other agencies failed at their job , and a police officer will never walk away from a crime victim .”
Other institutions must step up to cure underlying social ailments such as homelessness , drug use , domestic violence , and mental illness . But until they do , the public will continue looking to the police when these problems lead to societal problems and criminal activity . And so long as that is the case , the response to those problems will require funding .
Richard “ Dick ” Carothers is the General Counsel for the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police . A graduate of Emory University School of Law , he has practiced local government law in Georgia for 40 years . He served as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Atlanta , as County Attorney for Gwinnett County , and has been City Attorney for a number of cities over the years . He is a member of the Georgia and Ohio Bar Associations .
Dick also serves as insurance defense counsel for cities and counties including their officers and employees throughout Georgia in state and federal courts . His firm is currently defending cases representing numerous law enforcement officers and first responders . He is admitted to practice in all Georgia appellate courts , the Northern and Middle District federal courts , the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals , and in the United States Supreme Court . Dick has represented a Georgia city in a case and argued before the Supreme Court .
Dick is the Past President of the Local Government Section of the State Bar of Georgia and serves as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the Georgia Department of Transportation . His firm , Carothers & Mitchell , is located in Buford , Georgia .
To many in the public , calls to “ defund ” or “ abolish ” the police bring to mind frightening images of anarchy and unmitigated crime . As such , the “ defund the police ” slogan is overwhelmingly unpopular . A recent Ipsos / USA TODAY poll found that only 18 % of respondents support the movement identified with that phrase . Respondents were much more receptive to the idea of redirecting police funds to social services , with 43 % of Americans in support . While phrases like “ defund the police ” and “ abolition ” may well be liabilities for the movement , the policy ideal of redirecting funding finds substantial support amount the public , depending on the details of the proposal .
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