Milford Police Called Over 'Defund Police' Sign

MILFORD, MA — A misreading of a sign drew several Milford officers to a Cedar Street address on Saturday morning.

At around 10 a.m., a person called police to notify them that a group of people were putting up a sign that read "defund the police." But when the officers arrived, they found the opposite: The sign actually said "defend the police."

A movement to eliminate or reduce spending on police has swept the country in recent weeks following the killing of George Floyd. In Worcester, for example, a group of activists emerged to convince the City Council to reject a proposed $254,000 increase for police in the fiscal 2021 budget year.

There's also been a backlash to the defund-police movement. Demonstrators who support police have held several rallies in Boston, and there was one in downtown Worcester on Friday night.