That's an interesting one! I've personally said we should abolish constables and fold them into sheriff's offices. And, I've also long said we should get rid of electing sheriffs and instead, have county governments appoint them just like local police chiefs.
And, I've said that
based on knowing most of what Pishko says, about how in the past, the
sheriff was often the tax collector — and sometimes the assessor as
well. That's part of what was behind the OK Corral. It's also behind the political history of the only person I know of to be a sheriff before being president. That would be "Jumbo," aka Grover Cleveland, sheriff of Erie County (Buffalo) before becoming governor of New York State.
That said, even with the illogic of county lines and boundaries in most states, and other issues, "abolish" is, on first thought, a step too far for me. Especially in larger counties in Western states, I think sheriff's level policing is still a good thing to have. And, at the same time, if you get rid of electing them, you'll get rid of a fair amount of the problems.
Update, Oct. 7: Pishko is obviously making the rounds, and has now been interviewed by Capital and Main. There's good info from her (most of it already known to me) and something bad as well. She wants to abolish jails. I assume she's talking just county jails, not state or federal prisons, but I disagree even with that. And, she uses the word "abolish." Per Wiki's page on "prison abolition," which I'm not going to bother to link, don't use the word if you don't mean —abolition. I assume if you use the word or phrase, you do mean that. After all, you want to abolish sheriffs. That said, too many people don't mean "abolish" when they use the word "abolish." They're often using it to shout for political attention, which undercuts their cause.
Back to the likes of Pishko, though.
First, where do you put people charged with a felony before trial? You letting every one walk on a cash bond plus a souped-up OR? Not me.
Second, as far as penalties below the felony level? Some misdemeanor A cases here in Tex-ass, or the equivalent elsewhere, deserve jail time, not just fines.
And, if she's against prisons, not just jails? Ye gads.
And, contra the blurb on the front by Alex Vitale, what does he propose to replace policing WITH? Once again, I'm reminded of Thomas More's response to Roper in "A Man for All Seasons":
William Roper: Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!
Sir Thomas More: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's!
Oh, Vitale's wrong on his thesis, too. Plato's archons in "The Republic" are cops, for doorknob's sake.
I agree with addressing the War on Drugs and rolling back the last 40 years of police expansion. But, getting rid of it? No.
Getting to the issue of "do you really mean that" or not?
Update: Further thoughts after grokking the book.
