Defund? Dismantle? How About Mission and Zero-based Budgeting?

To stir up the base, shout memorable, action verbs: Defund!  Dismantle! Both sides do it: Hit'em Hard!  Send In The Troops! Trouble is, it also gives handy handles to the other side with which to arouse, parry and attack. 

Adrenaline pumps. Blood rushes to muscle. Brains empty. Conversations cease.

When it comes to setting priorities and restructuring, borrow a couple of management tools from for-profit and not-for-profit enterprises: mission-driven planning and zero-based budgeting.

What is the mission of a police department?  What long-term goals does that mission entail?  Given where we are, what strategies do we adopt to move us toward achievement of each goal? What are the short-term steps in each strategy, e.g., for this biennium or this fiscal year? What does each step cost? If too much, which steps do we downsize or set aside or shift to another department in whose mission it fits (like social services or school youth counsels?)

A board or perhaps a citizen's group or a council sets the goals. Staff, the pros, suggest the strategies, the steps for this period, and the costs and trade-offs.  Then back to the board or council for approval and authorization of resources (of which there are only four: time, money, data and wo/man power.) 

I know: I make it sound easy.  It ain't.  But it works better than shouting meaningless action verbs, waving fists in the air, tweeting on end and cancelling out thought.  And it forces conversation -- the universal solvent.

Enough already; time to go to work.