An increase in televised police violence and the mass protests in response to George Floyd’s death have led to well-deserved critiques of our current police system. Calls to defund the police have been generally void of discussing viable alternatives. Using an equity and social justice lens, I examine the development of the policing system in the United States, calling into question the necessity of police. First, definitions of public safety and their changes over time are discussed. Parallels are drawn between the inception of policing and the overt police violence of today. From volunteer runaway-slave patrols toting guns and whips in the 1700s, to today's heavily funded and militarized forces across the nation, police have traditionally been based in aggression and violence as a means of keeping the public safe. In this literature review, I capture the conversation and public opinion on policing in addition to the media portrayal and how those have changed over time. Police kill around 1,000 people each year and Black individuals are twice as likely to become victims in those situations than white individuals. Because of this, it is clear our current system isn’t working to keep all people safe equally. Currently, police handle issues of mental health, homelessness, drug addiction, sexual assault, and domestic violence without standardized training to do so. Why is an organization rooted in violence and aggression the one to respond to these community crises without proper training? What if we were to examine the issues that are currently “solved” through policing and base a new system on compassion, empathy, and true public safety? For the majority of communities, police are not necessary to keep their public safe. This research concludes that investing in communities and solving the root causes of violence is more effective than the current policing structure.