Editing Disarmament (section)

===Police disarmament===
[[File:BLMProtest With Banner Reading End Gun Violence Disarm The Police.png|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Black Lives Matter]] banner reading ''"End gun violence, disarm the police"'' during the [[George Floyd protests]] in [[Columbus, Ohio]]]]
The [[police]] disarmament movement is a [[political movement]] that advocates disarming [[Police officer|police officers]] and [[Law enforcement officer|law enforcement officers]] who regularly carry weaponry, such as [[Law enforcement in the United States|those in the United States]]. Proposed police disarmament methods range from simply emphasizing [[de-escalation]] and [[Non-lethal weapon|less-lethal alternatives]] over [[Deadly force|lethal force]]; to limiting police access to firearms to [[Police tactical unit|specific units]] (such as [[Police tactical unit|police tactical units]] or [[Authorised firearms officer|authorised firearms officers]]) or to when authorized or necessary; to [[Defund the police|defunding]] or [[Police abolition movement|replacing police]] with other systems of [[Public security|public safety]]. The concept dates back to the 1900s and has historically been championed by [[Anarchism|anarchists]] and [[Libertarianism|libertarians]] alike.

Proponents of police disarmament cite [[police brutality]] and [[Militarization of police|militarization]], safety and trust concerns, and the potential in other public safety apparatuses instead of armed police, as factors that make police disarmament ideal or necessary. Critics of police disarmament argue the concept is unrealistic, citing the need for police officers to defend themselves, the inability of unarmed public safety agents to effectively handle [[violent crime]].