If you were asked which presidential candidate believes that the police cannot be the only solution to achieve public safety, how would you respond?
Your reflexive answer might be Vice President Kamala Harris, who has pressed for a comprehensive approach to public safety that includes community-based solutions, investments in social services for marginalized communities, accountability of the criminal justice system, and, yes, the fair and just enforcement of the law.
But those who would go out on a limb and choose former president Donald Trump as their answer to the above question would also be correct. (Well, sort of, depending on what counts as a Trump policy position.)
Certainly, the former president’s rhetoric comes nowhere close to advocating for comprehensive community safety. Trump has doubled down on his “law and order” credentials this election cycle. On the campaign trail, he has pushed for aggressive policing tactics, the nationwide application of indiscriminate stop-and-frisk practices, and indemnifying officers sued for excessive force. …