Morgan Freeman says he's 'not in the least bit for defunding the police'

In an interview with Black Enterprise magazine, Morgan Freeman said he is "not in the least bit for defunding the police," affirming that he's not supportive of taking resources away from American police departments. "Police work is, aside from all the 'negativity' around it, it is very necessary for us to have them, and most of them are guys that are doing their job. There are some police that never pulled their guns except in rage, that sort of thing. I don't know."

Those sentiments were echoed by The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain co-star Frankie Faison: "I'm certainly not in favor of defunding policemen."

Freeman isn't just talking the talk. He's also donated a million dollars to establish the Center for Evidence-Based Policing and Reform at the University of Mississippi, intended to "help train police from Mississippi and elsewhere to better engage the community in crime pevention and conflict resolution." The center also seeks to "build relationships and share data with policing agencies as well as use data to enhance the preparations of students in criminal justice."

In a press release from UMiss, Freeman was quoted as saying: "It's time we [equipped] police officers with training and ensuring law enforcement is not defined only as a gun and a stick. Policing should be about that phrase 'to serve' found on most law enforcement vehicles."