dtrzn
commented
4 years ago @tatermaiden Well done. I was working on one for KC as well. Would you mind adding in this sentiment to the opening paragraph?
"I commend Mayor Lucas for de-escalating the protests in our city by removing the unnecessary and militarized police presence. Let that serve as a picture of how our city ought to operate as a whole."
And if you like this, I feel like it is relevant:
"We do not believe violent crime is a justification for a larger police force. This creates a negative feedback loop where the Police Department is in fact rewarded for doing a worse job and even for contributing to the violence in our city."
tatermaiden
skullface
serifluous
Subject line: Defunding the Kansas City Police Department
Email addresses:
Mayor: mayorq@kcmo.org Councilmembers: heather.hall@kcmo.org ; Kevin.ONeill@kcmo.org ; amy.justis@kcmo.org ; dan.fowler@kcmo.org ; Brandon.Ellington@kcmo.org ; Melissa.Robinson@kcmo.org ; Melissa.Robinson@kcmo.org ; Eric.Bunch@kcmo.org; Keema.McCoy@kcmo.org ;Angela.Pearson@kcmo.org ;Katrina.Foster@kcmo.org ; fred.wickham@kcmo.org ; kevin.mcmanus@kcmo.org ;Teresa.Loar@kcmo.org, katheryn.shields@kcmo.org, Lee.barnes@kcmo.org, ryana.parks-shaw@kcmo.org, Andrea.bough@kcmo.org; earnest_rouse@kcmo.org
I am a resident of [YOUR DISTRICT]. I am writing to demand that the City Council adopts a People’s Budget that prioritizes community well-being and redirects funding away from the police. The concession to fund body cameras is hardly a long term solution; KC needs to defund. I commend Mayor Lucas for de-escalating the protests in our city by removing the unnecessary and militarized police presence. It's clear evidence that fewer police = fewer violent acts. It's proof that police "reform" isn't enough, police removal is.
The coronavirus pandemic showed us months ago: Support for at-risk communities is crucial now, more than ever. Starting June 1st Kansas City resumed evictions as normal, utilizing our police to force families out into the streets while numbers of the infected spike. It is abhorrent that our officials would prefer to spend taxpayer dollars making people homeless than funding programs that might lift them out of poverty. We demand a budget that invests in vulnerable Kansas City residents during this trying and uncertain time. We demand a budget that supports our residents' families, rather than empowers the police forces that tear them apart.
As per the 2020 budget, Kansas City spends twice as much on "public safety" than any other sector. This is unacceptable. When I walk around the city I can't help but notice dilapidated public housing, inner city parks plagued by litter, and severely underfunded (if not downright closed) public schools. East of JC Nichols' infamous redline-- Troost-- streets are a patchwork of paved potholes, neighborhood sidewalks are cracked and crumbling (if they even exist at all), all the while our people are left to the wayside.
How can we spend twice as much taxpayer money outfitting police like soldiers when any common sense citizen could see there are more pressing issues at hand? Pumping more funding into our police merely perpetuates race-driven police violence and the prison feedback loop that oppresses so many of our community members into a lifetime of instability and trauma. Isn't it finally time we shake up the foundation?
As the City Council, the budget proposal is in your hands. It is your duty to represent your constituents. I am urging you to completely revise the budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, and to fund #CareNotCops. You need to adopt a People’s Budget. Public opinion is with me; you can see it plainly in the streets, from here to Paris.
Thank you for your time,
[YOUR NAME] [YOUR ADDRESS] [YOUR EMAIL] [YOUR PHONE NUMBER]"