Who called to defend the police
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Executive summary
Requests to "defend the police" have come from a mix of advocacy groups, political actors and online commentators — organized campaigns like United Police Fund and American Police Officers Alliance explicitly urge defending police and opposing "defund" rhetoric [1] [2]. Legislative and executive moves in 2025 also pushed pro‑law‑enforcement agendas, including a named POLICE Act introduced in Congress and administration policy directing increased law enforcement support [3] [4].
1. Who is explicitly campaigning to “defend the police”
National advocacy organizations are the clearest, most public proponents of a “defend the police” message. The United Police Fund runs a Defend Our Police campaign telling supporters “Don’t Defund — It’s time to DEFEND and support our police,” and frames recent crime data and changes in arrest patterns as evidence for stronger police support [1]. The American Police Officers Alliance likewise organizes politically to “defend strong police leadership and interests” and to elect officials who will “stand up for our police force” [2].
2. Political actors and policy instruments pushing pro‑police lines
Beyond NGOs, the policy and legislative record shows institutional efforts to shore up policing. The POLICE Act of 2025 (Protect Our Law enforcement with Immigration Control and Enforcement Act of 2025) is a congressional vehicle whose title signals a law‑and‑order framing designed to bolster law enforcement [3]. Civil‑rights groups explicitly criticized administration and congressional pushes during Police Week for proposals that would increase resourcing for law enforcement and shield officers from certain accountability measures, indicating elected officials and the White House were part of the pro‑police policy effort [4].
3. Electoral and messaging context: “defend” as countermove to “defund”
Several sources show “defend the police” operates as a countermovement to the “defund the police” slogan. United Police Fund and similar groups contrast “DEFEND THE POLICE!” with activist calls to reallocate policing funds and argue that reduced policing correlates with spikes in violent crime — framing that helped mobilize voters and donors ahead of elections [5] [1]. Wikipedia’s overview of the defund debate notes that opposition has come from across the political spectrum, and that “to defend the police is also as opposed to defund,” showing how the two slogans are treated as competing political positions [6].
4. Grassroots and online voices who “defend” cops in specific incidents
On social media and in protest dynamics, ordinary users and community members also voiced support for officers during confrontations. Academic analysis of the 2024 UK summer protests found users telling police “we supported you during the attack on your fellow policemen at the Manchester airport” and questioning police capacity when officers were perceived to be endangered — illustrating spontaneous defensive messaging in specific events [7]. These user responses feed into broader narratives about police legitimacy and public trust [7].
5. Counterpoints and civil‑society objections
Civil rights and press‑freedom organizations challenge blanket calls to “defend” police when they translate into increased funding without accountability. The Leadership Conference and allied civil‑rights groups warned that pumping more resources into law enforcement “with no accountability” undermines community safety and criticized proposals that would shield officers from oversight [4]. Press‑freedom advocates also documented litigation protecting journalists’ ability to observe police activity — a corrective to any narrative that policing should be insulated from public scrutiny [8].
6. What available sources do not mention
Available sources do not mention any comprehensive national polling in 2025 explicitly measuring the phrase “defend the police” versus “defund the police,” nor do they name every public figure who may have verbally urged defense of police in speeches and rallies beyond the organizations and items cited above (not found in current reporting).
7. Why it matters: framing, power and policy outcomes
“Defend the police” is not a neutral slogan; it is a political framing serving groups and politicians who want stronger law enforcement powers, sustained or increased budgets, and in some cases legal protections for officers [2] [1] [3]. Civil‑rights organizations argue this framing risks sidelining accountability and community‑based alternatives [4]. Readers should treat claims about crime rises or “de‑policing” used to justify the slogan as politically contested and supported in this record mainly by advocacy groups and some policymakers [1] [4].
Sources cited above include organizational campaign pages (United Police Fund, American Police Officers Alliance), academic analysis of social media responses to policing during protests, legislative texts (POLICE Act of 2025), and civil‑rights statements criticizing pro‑police policy pushes [1] [2] [7] [3] [4].