blmletter.txt

Where we spend money now will decide what kind of city we’ll live in for decades to come. Gun violence, homelessness, racial disparities, disappearing cultural spaces—these crises are not inevitable. They are the product of policy decisions. We can all strive for high quality housing, livable wages, and where arts and cultural spaces thrive. The infrastructure we need to address our challenges requires significant investment—that’s where we should be spending. Investing in more cops is both reckless and unimaginative.

No one in our communities should have to be afraid of violence, so we need to invest in the right tools to prevent and stop it. We expect cops to fill too many roles—social worker, investigator, traffic patrol, addiction counselor—let’s consider who else can fill some of them. If we send the right person or response for each issue, we will better meet community members’ needs. For many of the most marginalized people in our communities—people of color, queer and trans people, immigrants—police signal less safety, not more. It’s the Police Chief’s job to advocate for police solutions; it’s our job to advocate for each other. 

When we fight over crumbs, we fail to see the whole pie. The police has enough. Police departments continues to receive funding, even when they cost our community precious lives and millions of additional dollars in settlement fees. In the last fifteen years the city has paid out tens of millions of dollars in settlements - dollars that could have served and supported our communities. When we continuously allocate enormous amounts of money to police at the expense of other departments, programs, and proven safety initiatives, we prevent ourselves from forging a smarter path to safety.

We’re counting on you to advocate for people like us! Thank you.