Former New York Police Department and Secret Service agent Dan Bongino issued a stark warning on the consequences of defunding police departments on Monday saying, “People will die.”
The Fox News contributor told “Fox & Friends” that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement to cut funding to the NYPD would be the “the single most catastrophic deadly public policy decision we have seen in the modern history of the United States.”
People have called for reforms to police departments in the wake of the death of George Floyd, a black man, who was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis. In Minneapolis, officials are looking to entirely disband the police force. In New York City, the department may face budget cuts.
“People will die,” Bongino said if law enforcement agencies face budget cuts. “Real people, not Hollywood nonsense, not movie types, real people, kids, teenagers and adults will die.”
de Blasio said he would allocate more money to youth and social services. Bongino slammed the plan saying social workers are not equipped to handle the job of a police officer on top of their work load.
“They are entirely, completely 1,000 percent unprepared to go face to face with a murderer or a terrorist,” he said during his Monday appearance.
He said calls to defund the police are an “abomination.”
“What kind of a message do you think this sends to a murderer or a terrorist or a gang member or a drug dealer slinging crack on the corner of a neighborhood?” he said. “This is complete insanity.”
He said what de Blasio is calling for now is the “exact opposite” of what former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani did when he increased the police force to help reduce crime.
“This is the exact opposite and, I assure you, chaos will result,” he said.
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