48 Signatures So Far to Move Money from the Police to the Community!
When you sign the petition below, it will generate an email to Mayor Wu, the City Council, and City staff. It will begin with your personal messages below, then include the main petition text. (Read the text, or click to start filling out your info.)
[Personal Messages]
We are living in a time where the people are restricted by a system that has refused many times to offer real sustainable support. Over the past 3 years YJPU and other community members have fought for investment into affordable housing, mental, youth jobs, and participatory budgeting. The Mayor and City Council have given us little to nothing while continuing to bloat the police budget, which has gone up 79 million dollars from 2002 and currently stands at 474 million dollars.
Last year the Mayor and City Council decided to pass multiple new police contracts and a budget without real community input or a fair community involved process. This resulted in a huge police budget increase from 405 million dollars to 474 million dollars. During the budget vote City Council originally voted to amend the budget, cut the police, and add money to the community, but many Council members decided to change their mind when it was time to override the Mayor's veto. They added money to budget lines which have continuously been overfunded like equipment, contracts, supplies, and personnel, letting down the community in favor of the police. We remember each City Councilor who didn’t vote with us and made it difficult to vote for youth jobs and affordable housing.
We believe that real change and real safety comes from reinvesting police funds into things the community needs. The police attacked students peacefully protesting for Palestine. They arrest people who are unhoused or need treatment, and they harass and arrest Black and Brown people at alarming rates. The Mayor and City Council have continuously prioritized the police, funding them at a disproportionate amount to our community.
We are demanding cuts from the police department budget including personnel cuts, freezing new hiring of police, and cutting overtime. That money must be reinvested into truly affordable housing, year round youth jobs with increased wages, a community led mental health crisis response pilot, and participatory budgeting. Mayor Wu, City Council, we are watching you 👀
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