In a radio interview on Ebro in the Morning from June 9, 2020, Kamala Harris voiced her support for a controversial social movement, sparking significant discourse on her stance towards police reform.

The disturbing unearthed discussion reveals Harris's support for the "defund the police" movement, aligning with her 2019 ranking as the most liberal senator by GovTrack, as Breitbart reports.

Understanding Harris's Political Stance

Then-Sen. Kamala Harris was ranked as the most left-leaning senator in 2019 by GovTrack, a position primarily based on her voting records and visible more to the left even compared to Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Significantly, this ranking stemmed from various legislative decisions and stances, including her thoughts on policing and public safety reform.

GovTrack's practice of measuring the ideological leanings of senators involved publishing "report cards".

Joshua Tauberer, the founder of GovTrack, noted that these were discontinued as the annual data did not sufficiently reflect the long-term activities and stances of the legislators.

The ranking of Harris as the most liberal senator was based on the 2019 data, which is no longer directly accessible on their website.

Declaration of Harris’s Stance on Police Reform

During the aforementioned June 2020 interview, Harris critiqued cities that allocated large portions of their budgets to policing rather than to other community needs like education. Her statements suggested a shift towards reimagining how safety could be established without an over-reliance on police forces, a view manifesting amid national debates over police reform.

Harris focused on the dramatic militarization of police forces while public schools and other social services faced funding cuts. She argued that ensuring public safety should extend beyond increasing police presence, advocating for a broader and more holistic approach to community well-being.

The Political Backdrop Surrounding Police Reform

The notion of defunding the police did gather a blend of support and criticism across the United States during the summer of 2020 and for a time thereafter. Support for the movement saw a notable peak of 25% among Americans in 2020 when Harris made her comments but declined to 15% in 2021, according to a Pew Research poll. This variance underscores the contentious nature of the conversation surrounding police reform.

Moreover, Harris applauded actions like those of former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti who had moved parts of the city's budget away from policing, further causing ripples among the public and politicians alike.

Harris Reinforces Views on Safety

Elaborating further on her support for changing the dynamics of community safety, Harris reiterated her stance on the ineffectiveness of increased police presence during another interview on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live on June 26, 2020. Her consistently held views were designed to challenge the traditional notion that more police equate to enhanced security.

In a 2021 commentary, Harris described the idea of augmenting police presence for enhancing community safety as "wrong-headed," revealing her sustained commitment to rethinking traditional law enforcement roles and responsibilities.

Communication and Public Perception

Brian Fallon, now Harris' campaign communications director, echoed her sentiments in a concise tweet at the time supporting the defund the police movement. Such communications have significantly influenced public opinion and contributed to the ongoing discussions about the relevance and future of policing in America.

A 2021 poll by the Economist/YouGov revealed that only 39% of registered independent voters saw Harris as "qualified" to be president, reflecting the polarized views of her policies and political approach, especially concerning law enforcement and safety.

Conclusion: Retracing the Narrative of Police Reform Advocacy

To conclude, Vice President Kamala Harris’s expressed support in 2020 for the "defund the police" concept aligns with her legislative background as a profoundly liberal figure in the U.S. Senate as assessed in 2019.

Her approach to reimagining community safety and reallocating budget priorities suggests continued advocacy for controversial policies in law enforcement.

These positions have sparked diverse reactions from the public and remain a cornerstone in the ongoing debate over police reform in the United States.