The final budget vote is Wednesday. Call City Hall Monday and Tuesday (priority), and Wednesday morning!
Along with groups in DefundBosCops, Youth Justice and Power Union is organizing phone calls to the City Council and Mayor. We are demanding a $120 million cut to the police’s $400+ million budget and demanding that no new cops are hired. Mayor Janey released a new budget on June 18 that does not include any of these cuts. We need to take action before the budget vote on June 30!
Below is a script for what to say in the phone calls, where you can dial the numbers yourself. We also have a website page that is designed to look up your district Councilor, call your phone, and connect you automatically with your elected officials. If you prefer to use that automated tool, click here!
Notice that one portion of the script is different depending on who you are talking to! And for Kim Janey, there is extra language about stopping the City from hiring a company to upgrade a network for surveillance cameras in Boston and surrounding cities that the police can access.
You can also view tips for calling here.
WHO TO CALL
Click here to find your district Councilor. Every Boston resident has one district Councilor and four at-large Councilors.
Then call your District Councilor, Mayor Kim Janey, and your at-large Councilors. (Note: Mayor Janey’s office may try to direct you to 311. Ask them to still take your message, and then if they send you to 311 afterward, you can leave a message with 311 also.)
After you make your calls, please fill out this online form to let us know how the calls went!
District 1 - LYDIA EDWARDS - 617-635-3200
District 2 - ED FLYNN - 617-635-3203
District 3 - FRANK BAKER - 617-635-3455
District 4 - ANDREA CAMPBELL - 617-635-3131
District 5 - RICARDO ARROYO - 617-635-4210
District 6 - City Council President - MATT O'MALLEY - 617-635-4220
District 7 - Mayor - KIM JANEY - 617-635-3151
District 8 - KENZIE BOK - 617-635-4225
District 9 - LIZ BREADON - 617-635-3113
Mayor - KIM JANEY - 617-635-3151
At-Large - JULIA MEJIA - 617-635-4217
At-Large - MICHELLE WU - 617-635-3115
At-Large - ANNISSA ESSAIBI GEORGE - 617-635-4376
At-Large - MICHAEL FLAHERTY - 617-635-4205
SCRIPT
Remember to look for langage specific to the office you are talking to. You may talk to an aide. The Mayor's office may try to transfer you to 311; try and leave a message at the original number and 311 before hitting star (*) to go to the next person.
My name is [YOUR NAME].
[BOSTON RESIDENTS - share what you are comfortable with:] I live at [ADDRESS] in [NEIGHBORHOOD].
I am asking the Mayor and the City Council to:
Freeze the two police classes and the hiring of 250 new police officers
Reinvest $120 million from the Boston Police budget into community-led safety and wellness.
The police budget is only cut by 1% so far, and the new police will increase the budget in the future. This is unacceptable!
[IF YOU ARE TALKING TO A CITY COUNCILOR] I want Councilor ________ to tell Mayor Kim Janey and Ways and Means Chair Kenzie Bok to cut the police budget, including the two police classes.
[ADD LANGUAGE SPECIFIC TO THE PERSON: Depending on which call you are making, use the below information to make a point that relates to the person's vote last year.]
[ADD LANGUAGE SPECIFIC TO THE PERSON: Depending on which call you are making, use the below information to make a point that relates to the person's vote last year.]
For Campbell, Mejia, Wu (supports cutting the number of police):
Thank you to the Councilor for voting against the police budget last year and supporting decreasing the number of police. Please speak out forcefully for cutting the police budget and police classes this week and vote to make those cuts real.
For Arroyo (planning to vote for the increase in police even though he supported us last year):
Councilor Arroyo voted against the large police budget last year and fought for at least a 10% cut. He said last week he will vote yes on this budget, but I need him to make sure to cut the police budget and police classes first. Tell him I want him to keep his promise to cut the police and reinvest in communities! He knows that the police have no justification for needing to hire more officers.
For Bok (said they supported last year, voted the wrong way on the budget):
Councilor Bok voted against the large police budget last year even though she said she supported a 10% cut. As Ways and Means Chair, she must use her power to recommend a budget that promotes racial justice. She knows that it's wrong to include two police classes, and she must use your leadership to change the budget. While she wants to pass a reform contract, there is no excuse not to act now. Even without changing overtime in the police contract, the City Council has the power now to cut budget items including police classes. She must not kick her responsibility to cut the police budget and classes to next year or to a future mayor!
For Breadon (said they supported last year, voted the wrong way on the budget):
Councilor Breadon voted against the large police budget last year even though she said she supported a 10% cut. She then promised to reallocate 10% every year from future police budgets and end the gang unit, BRIC, and school police. Now she is breaking those promises and saying that she supports hiring 250 police. I want her to keep her promise and cut the police budget and police classes now!
For Edwards (said they supported last year, voted the wrong way on the budget):
Councilor Edwards voted against the large police budget last year even though she said she supported a 10% cut. Although she has led changing the City budget process, there is no excuse not to act now. Even without changing the charter or changing overtime in the police contract, the City Council has the power now to cut budget items including police classes. She must keep her promise to cut the police budget!
For Baker, Essaibi George, Flaherty, Flynn, O'Malley (voted the wrong way on the budget last year, didn't work to provide real support after):
Last year, the Councilor voted for the large police budget. The Councilor needs to prioritize investing in real community needs, not the police. Rather than support hiring 250 new police, the Councilor must cut the police budget and the police classes so we can invest in real community safety!
For Mayor Kim Janey:
Last year, Mayor Janey led a fight to cut to the police budget and supported a 10% cut. But the new budget only cuts 1% this year and ADDS police officers. Mayor Janey must ensure that the budget defunds the BPD and prioritizes the wellbeing of our communities. Mayor Janey released a new budget on June 18 that does not include any of these cuts. She needs to change the budget!
In addition, Mayor Janey must completely cancel the process for RFP EV9014, which maintains and enhances a network of more than 1000 surveillance cameras in Boston and surrounding areas.
[ADD YOUR PERSONAL MESSAGE]
THANK YOU!
Please remember to fill out this online form to let us know how the calls went.