Defund Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Jacksonville FL

[adeareardon]

MayorLennyCurry@coj.net JoyceMorgan@coj.net Ferraro@coj.net ABowman@coj.net SWilson@coj.net LCumber@coj.net MBoylan@coj.net
RGaffney@coj.net JPittman@coj.net GarrettD@coj.net BPJackson@coj.net DBecton@coj.net RandyWhite@coj.net RDiamond@coj.net RDeFoor@coj.net TFreeman@coj.net GerrieF@coj.net RSalem@coj.net THazouri@coj.net MCarlucci@coj.net SNewby@coj.net

Hi, my name is [NAME] and I am a resident of [YOUR DISTRICT].

I am a citizen who is disturbed by the injustices and brutality carried out by police forces across the country, and particularly in the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Racist police violence doesn’t just happen in other cities - it happens here in Jacksonville too. Our community has a long history of racist policy in housing and school segregation. Black citizens have been subjected to centuries of economic and social exclusion in Jacksonville. The current protests reflect concerned members of society taking direct, collective action to demand an end to the abuse and violence directed against Black people. These issues must become financial priorities so we can heal from our history. We want real change to be made to the way our city allocates its resources.

I urge you to pressure the Mayor to redirect money towards an ethical and equal reallocation of the City of Jacksonville’s expense budget, effective at the beginning of FY21. Commit to our city’s Black and Brown communities to combat an over-investment in their criminalization, surveillance, and discrimination. Now especially, the City Council can take a stand for racial justice by significantly defunding policing and investing in Black and Brown communities. Provide relief to those in our community that are marginalized and victimized by the structural racism and inequity that Jacksonville was built upon, and that JSO is complicit in enforcing. Public tensions are rising and public opinion is dwindling in regard to the City’s inappropriate over-policed response to subsequent protests of police brutality and racism.

Deprioritize JSO’s overinflated budget and meaningfully reallocate funds towards the following social services: Community Development, Affordable Housing Programs, Eviction Diversions, COVID Relief and Healthcare, Substance Abuse Treatment Services, Education, Childcare, Transportation, targeted support for marginalized communities and communities of color, Jobs, and Parks & Recreation. All of these sectors will facilitate the dismantling of racial and class inequality and will support racial and social justice, which will have both a short and long-term positive impact on our residents and their futures. This action will reflect the decades of research showing that social programs, education, and a living wage are far more successful at promoting the safety of a city than policing or prisons. We are overdue for change. Ending police brutality should be a budget priority. Justice should be a budget priority. Over policed communities are not safe communities. Thriving communities are safe communities, and communities thrive when they are well-resourced. We deserve a budget that divests from policing and jails and uses that money to invest in our communities. People are marching in the streets because they know that these actions will result in a healthier, more just society. I implore you to please listen to the needs of your constituents and take immediate action to address their concerns.

JSO has been a waste of our resources. Last year, the JSO budget was $358,517,260, ($982,239.06 per day) almost all of which comes from taxes. This means the JSO budget was the single largest expenditure; higher than Fire and Rescue, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Libraries, Neighborhoods, Planning and Development, Intra-Governmental Services, Finance, Special Services, Economic Development Office, Mayor’s Office, and our City Council budget combined. This isn’t how we create public safety. True public safety requires fully-funded and community-controlled resources, not more police and jails.

JSO is overfunded and holds responsibility over community issues that they are fundamentally unable to address. We have seen mounting evidence that police departments are ineffective institutions that marginalize minority communities and put citizens at risk of injury and death. Our city needs EMTs, social workers, and other social service providers to respond to the majority of current police business, including health and wellness checks, domestic/sexual violence situations, and basic bureaucratic documentation around break-ins, vandalism, wrecks, etc. It is morally reprehensible have armed police officers respond to these emergencies. More often than not, when police are dispensed, rather than more qualified medical, psychiatric, and social work professionals, the effect is to bring violence where none previously existed.

JSO offers “unlimited overtime pay for all” through Operation Safe and Sound, which, more often than not, is paid out to officers responsible for harassing the unhoused, and Black, Indigenous, people of color. Jacksonville’s needs must be addressed by the provision of care, and not the threat of violence.

Crime is not random. Crime usually happens when someone has been unable to meet their basic needs through other means. So, to really “fight crime,” we don’t need more police officers - we need more jobs, more educational opportunities, more arts programs, more community centers, more mental health resources, as well as more of a say in how our own communities function. This is a long transition process but change starts with reallocating this funding!

We don’t need a militarized police force. Divest from offensive weapons. Offensive weapons are known to escalate violence, especially when deployed in situations where none existed before. Almost all the current litany of Black men and women dead from police violence were non-violent, unarmed people, for whom armed police became the site of death and brutality. If you want to “tackle crime”, dedicate yourselves fully to ending poverty– don’t give the police force another $358 million+ to spend on riot gear, grenades, and chemical weapons like tear gas (which is considered a war crime to use according to 1925 Geneva protocol) to use against your own city.

History has shown that police “reform” will not be enough. We must take a hard look at the ways that the current system in place fails to serve–and in fact actively harms–our community, and come together to reimagine the role of police in our city. I also urge the City Council to enact legislation that holds police accountable and to overturn policies that allow police to engage in unlawful behavior with impunity. I ask abusive cops be fired and criminally charged. Ending the unfair and secretive internal JSO grievance review process would be a good first step in achieving this goal. Propose plans for ensuring the safety of Black and other marginalized people in our community from racial profiling by police and other security forces, and release the bodycam footage of Jamee Johnson’s murder. Do not forget our poor communities and communities of color who are disproportionate targets of police violence. Our violent police department is, quite frankly, upholding policies and practices that allow white supremacy to take Black lives every single day. Justice will only be served when the police are reformed, and this will not be possible until we defund them.

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. Public opinion is with me. We can be a beacon for other cities to follow if only we have the courage to change. Now is a chance for Jacksonville to lead the country and show how demilitarization and defunding the police can create a safer city for all of us.

Mayor Curry, will you look out for me, and will you look out for us? Can I count on you to pass an alternative budget that puts a focus on social service programs?

Have the moral clarity to create a budget focused on communities instead of investing in a racist and destructive institution. Defund JSO.

I am eager to see how you will address these issues, which I will fight for until they are meaningfully addressed. We the residents of Jacksonville will hold you accountable for swift and just action, Mayor Curry.

Thank you for your time, [NAME] [ADDRESS] [EMAIL] [PHONE NUMBER]

[adeareardon]

Subject can be Defund JSO

[swallan]

@adeareardon Thanks for the submission! Please revise a few parts to comply with the email guidelines.

• Avoid using police framing of community problems, i.e. “crime.” Instead of summarizing social programs as being more effective than policing at “reducing crime,” say that they are more effective at “promoting community safety.” First portion of this:

Crime is not random. Crime usually happens when someone has been unable to meet their basic needs through other means. So, to really “fight crime,” we don’t need more police officers - we need more jobs ...

• The core message should be defunding the police. Specific demands for reforms (e.g., policing tactics and training) should be removed be removed. Rephrase some portions, including this:

  Justice will only be served when the police are reformed, and this will not be possible until we defund them.

[swallan]

typos:

... It is morally reprehensible to have armed police ...

[adeareardon]

MayorLennyCurry@coj.net JoyceMorgan@coj.net Ferraro@coj.net ABowman@coj.net SWilson@coj.net LCumber@coj.net MBoylan@coj.net RGaffney@coj.net JPittman@coj.net GarrettD@coj.net BPJackson@coj.net DBecton@coj.net RandyWhite@coj.net RDiamond@coj.net RDeFoor@coj.net TFreeman@coj.net GerrieF@coj.net RSalem@coj.net THazouri@coj.net MCarlucci@coj.net SNewby@coj.net

Hi, my name is [NAME] and I am a resident of [YOUR DISTRICT].

I am a citizen who is disturbed by the injustices and brutality carried out by police forces across the country, and particularly in the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Racist police violence doesn’t just happen in other cities - it happens here in Jacksonville too. Our community has a long history of racist policy in housing and school segregation. Black citizens have been subjected to centuries of economic and social exclusion in Jacksonville. The current protests reflect concerned members of society taking direct, collective action to demand an end to the abuse and violence directed against Black people. These issues must become financial priorities so we can heal from our history. We want real change to be made to the way our city allocates its resources. I urge you to pressure the Mayor to redirect money towards an ethical and equal reallocation of the City of Jacksonville’s expense budget, effective at the beginning of FY21. Commit to our city’s Black and Brown communities to combat an over-investment in their criminalization, surveillance, and discrimination. Now especially, the City Council can take a stand for racial justice by significantly defunding policing and investing in Black and Brown communities. Provide relief to those in our community that are marginalized and victimized by the structural racism and inequity that Jacksonville was built upon, and that JSO is complicit in enforcing. Public tensions are rising and public opinion is dwindling in regard to the City’s inappropriate over-policed response to subsequent protests of police brutality and racism. Deprioritize JSO’s overinflated budget and meaningfully reallocate funds towards the following social services: Community Development, Affordable Housing Programs, Eviction Diversions, COVID Relief and Healthcare, Substance Abuse Treatment Services, Education, Childcare, Transportation, targeted support for marginalized communities and communities of color, Jobs, and Parks & Recreation. All of these sectors will facilitate the dismantling of racial and class inequality and will support racial and social justice, which will have both a short and long-term positive impact on our residents and their futures. This action will reflect the decades of research showing that social programs, education, and a living wage are far more successful at promoting the safety of a city than policing or prisons. We are overdue for change. Ending police brutality should be a budget priority. Justice should be a budget priority. Over policed communities are not safe communities. Thriving communities are safe communities, and communities thrive when they are well-resourced. We deserve a budget that divests from policing and jails and uses that money to invest in our communities. People are marching in the streets because they know that these actions will result in a healthier, more just society. I implore you to please listen to the needs of your constituents and take immediate action to address their concerns. JSO has been a waste of our resources. Last year, the JSO budget was $358,517,260, ($982,239.06 per day) almost all of which comes from taxes. This means the JSO budget was the single largest expenditure; higher than Fire and Rescue, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Libraries, Neighborhoods, Planning and Development, Intra-Governmental Services, Finance, Special Services, Economic Development Office, Mayor’s Office, and our City Council budget combined. This isn’t how we create public safety. True public safety requires fully-funded and community-controlled resources, not more police and jails. JSO is overfunded and holds responsibility over community issues that they are fundamentally unable to address. We have seen mounting evidence that police departments are ineffective institutions that marginalize minority communities and put citizens at risk of injury and death. Our city needs EMTs, social workers, and other social service providers to respond to the majority of current police business, including health and wellness checks, domestic/sexual violence situations, and basic bureaucratic documentation around break-ins, vandalism, wrecks, etc. More often than not, when police are dispensed, rather than more qualified medical, psychiatric, and social work professionals, the effect is to bring violence where none previously existed. Jacksonville’s needs must be addressed by the provision of care, and not the threat of violence. JSO offers “unlimited overtime pay for all” through Operation Safe and Sound, which, more often than not, is paid out to officers responsible for harassing the unhoused, and Black, Indigenous, people of color. We don’t need a militarized police force. Divest from offensive weapons. Offensive weapons are known to escalate violence, especially when deployed in situations where none existed before. Almost all the current litany of Black men and women dead from police violence were non-violent, unarmed people, for whom armed police became the site of death and brutality. If you want to promote community safety, dedicate yourselves fully to ending poverty– don’t give the police force another $358 million+ to spend on riot gear, grenades, and chemical weapons like tear gas (which is considered a war crime to use according to 1925 Geneva protocol) to use against your own city. History has shown that police “reform” will not be enough. We must take a hard look at the ways that the current system in place fails to serve–and in fact actively harms–our community, and come together to reimagine the role of police in our city. Do not forget our poor communities and communities of color who are disproportionate targets of police violence. Our violent police department is, quite frankly, upholding policies and practices that allow white supremacy to take Black lives every single day. 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. Public opinion is with me. We can be a beacon for other cities to follow if only we have the courage to change. Now is a chance for Jacksonville to lead the country and show how demilitarization and defunding the police can create a safer city for all of us. Mayor Curry, will you look out for me, and will you look out for us? Can I count on you to pass an alternative budget that puts a focus on social service programs? Have the moral clarity to create a budget focused on communities instead of investing in a racist and destructive institution. Defund JSO. I am eager to see how you will address these issues, which I will fight for until they are meaningfully addressed. We the residents of Jacksonville will hold you accountable for swift and just action, Mayor Curry.

Thank you for your time, [NAME] [ADDRESS] [EMAIL] [PHONE NUMBER]

[f-u-z-z-y]

I combed through the COJ budget and got numbers. I'm working on re-writing a short and sweet from a template I used in Balt City, thought it might be helpful. Here are raw #s (will post email template shortly): Fiscal Fiscal Year '19-'20-

s are combined personnel and operations-

Sheriff's office: $478,386,277 Human Rights Commission: $787,302 Public Health: $390,607 (sidenote- personnel is literally $0??) Public Libraries: $29,651,634 Parks, Rec and Community Services (all social services housed here): $53,201,321 (budget doc here: https://www.coj.net/departments/finance/docs/budget/city-of-jacksonville-fy19-20-budget.aspx)

[f-u-z-z-y]

Dear [City Council Member/Mayor],

My name is [NAME] and I am a Jacksonville resident. In the midst of this pandemic & public outcry against police brutality, it feels more inappropriate than ever to continue funding the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office budget at the incredibly disproportionate level of the FY 2019-2020 budget. I urge you to ethically reallocate the City of Jacksonville Expense Budget, divesting interest in the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO), and investing in social services and public health, effective at the beginning of FY 20-21. Investment in programs such as the Human Rights Commission, the Emergency Financial Assistance program, HIV/AIDS program, assistance for people with mental health issues and substance abuse disorders, disabled services, and senior services, shows our commitment to communities and the vision that all Jacksonville residents deserve to thrive.

In the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the city government has spent over five times more on police than on Public Health, Public Libraries, Community Services, and the Human Rights Commission combined. These social services are disturbingly underfunded, while the JSO budget continues to make up an enormous proportion of the entire city budget. It’s time to protect investments in human services, the social safety net, and racial and economic justice.

I am writing to insist that the upcoming budget hearings for FY 20-21 reflect the voices and needs of Jacksonville’s citizens. I am asking that city officials lobby to reallocate significant funds from the JSO to the Public Health Dept. (whose current personnel budget is $0), social services (as housed under the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Dept.), the Public Libraries Dept., and the Human Rights Commission, in an effort towards finding sustainable, longterm change.

Thank you, [Name] June 6, 2020

[adeareardon]

It's going to be important to include what District you represent. Thank you for finding the full breakdown of the budget. I was going off of the very brief budget that was posted to their website https://www.coj.net/my-jax-budget/city-budget/budget-breakdown

[adeareardon]

It's also going to be important to include that this budget needs to be focused on helping our BIPOC community. Lenny Curry has pretty much said that he is confused and doesn't know what problems BIPOC face or how to help them, and I want to make it clear that the best way to help is to lower spending on BIPOC criminalization and increase spending on building up their communities and resources.

[adeareardon]

MayorLennyCurry@coj.net JoyceMorgan@coj.net Ferraro@coj.net ABowman@coj.net SWilson@coj.net LCumber@coj.net MBoylan@coj.net RGaffney@coj.net JPittman@coj.net GarrettD@coj.net BPJackson@coj.net DBecton@coj.net RandyWhite@coj.net RDiamond@coj.net RDeFoor@coj.net TFreeman@coj.net GerrieF@coj.net RSalem@coj.net THazouri@coj.net MCarlucci@coj.net SNewby@coj.net

Hi, my name is [NAME] and I am a resident of [YOUR DISTRICT].

I am a citizen who is disturbed by the injustices and brutality carried out by police forces across the country, and particularly in the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Racist police violence doesn’t just happen in other cities - it happens here in Jacksonville too. Our community has a long history of racist policy in housing and school segregation. Black citizens have been subjected to centuries of economic and social exclusion in Jacksonville. The current protests reflect concerned members of society taking direct, collective action to demand an end to the abuse and violence directed against Black people. These issues must become financial priorities so we can heal from our history. We want real change to be made to the way our city allocates its resources. I urge you to pressure the Mayor to redirect money towards an ethical and equal reallocation of the City of Jacksonville’s expense budget, effective at the beginning of FY21. Commit to our city’s Black and Brown communities to combat an over-investment in their criminalization, surveillance, and discrimination. Now especially, the City Council can take a stand for racial justice by significantly defunding policing and investing in Black and Brown communities. Provide relief to those in our community that are marginalized and victimized by the structural racism and inequity that Jacksonville was built upon, and that JSO is complicit in enforcing. Public tensions are rising and public opinion is dwindling in regard to the City’s inappropriate over-policed response to subsequent protests of police brutality and racism. Deprioritize JSO’s overinflated budget and meaningfully reallocate funds towards the following social services: Community Development, Affordable Housing Programs, Eviction Diversions, COVID Relief and Healthcare, Substance Abuse Treatment Services, Education, Childcare, Transportation, targeted support for marginalized communities and communities of color, Jobs, and Parks & Recreation. All of these sectors will facilitate the dismantling of racial and class inequality and will support racial and social justice, which will have both a short and long-term positive impact on our residents and their futures. This action will reflect the decades of research showing that social programs, education, and a living wage are far more successful at promoting the safety of a city than policing or prisons. We are overdue for change. Ending police brutality should be a budget priority. Justice should be a budget priority. Over policed communities are not safe communities. Thriving communities are safe communities, and communities thrive when they are well-resourced. We deserve a budget that divests from policing and jails and uses that money to invest in our communities. People are marching in the streets because they know that these actions will result in a healthier, more just society. I implore you to please listen to the needs of your constituents and take immediate action to address their concerns. JSO has been a waste of our resources. Last year, the JSO budget was $478,386,277, ($1,310,647.33 per day) almost all of which comes from taxes. This means the JSO budget was the single largest expenditure; higher than Fire and Rescue, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Libraries, Neighborhoods, Planning and Development, Intra-Governmental Services, Finance, Special Services, Economic Development Office, Mayor’s Office, and our City Council budget combined. This isn’t how we create public safety. True public safety requires fully-funded and community-controlled resources, not more police and jails. JSO is overfunded and holds responsibility over community issues that they are fundamentally unable to address. We have seen mounting evidence that police departments are ineffective institutions that marginalize minority communities and put citizens at risk of injury and death. Our city needs EMTs, social workers, and other social service providers to respond to the majority of current police business, including health and wellness checks, domestic/sexual violence situations, and basic bureaucratic documentation around break-ins, vandalism, wrecks, etc. More often than not, when police are dispensed, rather than more qualified medical, psychiatric, and social work professionals, the effect is to bring violence where none previously existed. Jacksonville’s needs must be addressed by the provision of care, and not the threat of violence. JSO offers “unlimited overtime pay for all” through Operation Safe and Sound, which, more often than not, is paid out to officers responsible for harassing the unhoused, and Black, Indigenous, people of color. We don’t need a militarized police force. Divest from offensive weapons. Offensive weapons are known to escalate violence, especially when deployed in situations where none existed before. Almost all the current litany of Black men and women dead from police violence were non-violent, unarmed people, for whom armed police became the site of death and brutality. If you want to promote community safety, dedicate yourselves fully to ending poverty– don’t give the police force another $478 million+ to spend on riot gear, grenades, and chemical weapons like tear gas (which is considered a war crime to use according to 1925 Geneva protocol) to use against your own city. History has shown that police “reform” will not be enough. We must take a hard look at the ways that the current system in place fails to serve–and in fact actively harms–our community, and come together to reimagine the role of police in our city. Do not forget our poor communities and communities of color who are disproportionate targets of police violence. Our violent police department is, quite frankly, upholding policies and practices that allow white supremacy to take Black lives every single day. 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. Public opinion is with me. We can be a beacon for other cities to follow if only we have the courage to change. Now is a chance for Jacksonville to lead the country and show how demilitarization and defunding the police can create a safer city for all of us. Mayor Curry, will you look out for me, and will you look out for us? Can I count on you to pass an alternative budget that puts a focus on social service programs? Have the moral clarity to create a budget focused on communities instead of investing in a racist and destructive institution. Defund JSO. I am eager to see how you will address these issues, which I will fight for until they are meaningfully addressed. We the residents of Jacksonville will hold you accountable for swift and just action, Mayor Curry.

Thank you for your time, [NAME] [ADDRESS] [EMAIL] [PHONE NUMBER]

[adeareardon]

Oh and I need the subject line to be Demilitarize Jacksonville Sheriff's Office

[averymcguirt]

Reviewed and ready for PR. Removed matter @ the end that seemed redundant. Let me know if you disagree. Other editors may want to weigh in on length, though I think we should push it out.

MayorLennyCurry@coj.net JoyceMorgan@coj.net Ferraro@coj.net ABowman@coj.net SWilson@coj.net LCumber@coj.net MBoylan@coj.net RGaffney@coj.net JPittman@coj.net GarrettD@coj.net BPJackson@coj.net DBecton@coj.net RandyWhite@coj.net RDiamond@coj.net RDeFoor@coj.net TFreeman@coj.net GerrieF@coj.net RSalem@coj.net THazouri@coj.net MCarlucci@coj.net SNewby@coj.net

Dear Jacksonville Mayor and City Coucil,

My name is [NAME] and I am a resident of [YOUR DISTRICT]. I am a citizen who is disturbed by the injustices and brutality carried out by police forces across the country, and particularly in the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Racist police violence doesn’t just happen in other cities - it happens here in Jacksonville too. Our community has a long history of racist policy in housing and school segregation. Black citizens have been subjected to centuries of economic and social exclusion in Jacksonville. The current protests reflect concerned members of society taking direct, collective action to demand an end to the abuse and violence directed against Black people. These issues must become financial priorities so we can heal from our history. We want real change to be made to the way our city allocates its resources. I urge you to pressure the Mayor to redirect money towards an ethical reallocation of the City of Jacksonville’s expense budget, effective at the beginning of FY21. Commit to our city’s Black and Brown communities to combat an over-investment in their criminalization, surveillance, and discrimination. Now especially, the City Council can take a stand for racial justice by significantly defunding policing and investing in Black and Brown communities. Provide relief to those in our community that are marginalized and victimized by the structural racism and inequity that Jacksonville was built upon, and that JSO is complicit in enforcing. Public tensions are rising and public opinion is dwindling in regard to the City’s inappropriate over-policed response to subsequent protests of police brutality and racism.

Deprioritize JSO’s overinflated budget and meaningfully reallocate funds towards the following social services: Community Development, Affordable Housing Programs, Eviction Diversions, COVID Relief and Healthcare, Substance Abuse Treatment Services, Education, Childcare, Transportation, targeted support for marginalized communities and communities of color, Jobs, and Parks & Recreation. All of these sectors will facilitate the dismantling of racial and class inequality and will support racial and social justice, which will have both a short and long-term positive impact on our residents and their futures. This action will reflect the decades of research showing that social programs, education, and a living wage are far more successful at promoting the safety of a city than policing or prisons. We are overdue for change. Ending police brutality should be a budget priority. Justice should be a budget priority. Overpoliced communities are not safe communities. Thriving communities are safe communities, and communities thrive when they are well-resourced. We deserve a budget that divests from policing and jails and uses that money to invest in our communities. People are marching in the streets because they know that these actions will result in a healthier, more just society. I implore you to please listen to the needs of your constituents and take immediate action to address their concerns.

JSO has been a waste of our resources. Last year, the JSO budget was $478,386,277, ($1,310,647.33 per day) almost all of which comes from taxes. This means the JSO budget was the single largest expenditure; higher than Fire and Rescue, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Libraries, Neighborhoods, Planning and Development, Intra-Governmental Services, Finance, Special Services, Economic Development Office, Mayor’s Office, and our City Council budget combined. This isn’t how we create public safety. True public safety requires fully-funded and community-controlled resources, not more police and jails.

JSO is overfunded and holds responsibility over community issues that they are fundamentally unable to address. We have seen mounting evidence that police departments are ineffective institutions that marginalize minority communities and put citizens at risk of injury and death. Our city needs EMTs, social workers, and other social service providers to respond to the majority of current police business, including health and wellness checks, domestic/sexual violence situations, and basic bureaucratic documentation around break-ins, vandalism, wrecks, etc. More often than not, when police are dispensed, rather than more qualified medical, psychiatric, and social work professionals, the effect is to bring violence where none previously existed. Jacksonville’s needs must be addressed by the provision of care, and not the threat of violence.

JSO offers “unlimited overtime pay for all” through Operation Safe and Sound, which, more often than not, is paid out to officers responsible for harassing the unhoused, and Black, Indigenous, people of color.

We don’t need a militarized police force. Divest from offensive weapons. Offensive weapons are known to escalate violence, especially when deployed in situations where none existed before. Almost all the current litany of Black men and women dead from police violence were non-violent, unarmed people, for whom armed police became the site of death and brutality. If you want to promote community safety, dedicate yourselves fully to ending poverty– don’t give the police force another $478 million+ to spend on riot gear, grenades, and chemical weapons like tear gas (which is considered a war crime to use according to 1925 Geneva protocol) to use against your own city. History has shown that police “reform” will not be enough. We must take a hard look at the ways that the current system in place fails to serve–and in fact actively harms–our community, and come together to reimagine the role of police in our city.

Do not forget our poor communities and communities of color who are disproportionate targets of police violence. Our violent police department is, quite frankly, upholding policies and practices that allow white supremacy to take Black lives every single day.

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. Public opinion is with me. We can be a beacon for other cities to follow if only we have the courage to change. Now is a chance for Jacksonville to lead the country and show how demilitarization and defunding the police can create a safer city for all of us.

Mayor Curry, will you look out for me, and will you look out for us? Can I count on you to pass an alternative budget that puts a focus on social service programs?

Thank you for your time, [NAME] [ADDRESS] [EMAIL] [PHONE NUMBER]

[dionlarson]

On it!

[dionlarson]

@averymcguirt this is actually too long for the "send message" button to work properly. I suggest it gets edited down a bit. I am not currently sure what the character limit is, but it'd be a combination of characters in recipients + body (anything auto filled).

[dionlarson]

This is being tracked in an issue here: https://github.com/defund12/defund12.org/issues/893

Looks like you'd need to edit out ~2.5k characters. It might be worthwhile to just put the email up and also code a fix for disabling the send email button when it's a long one like this...

[dionlarson]

I added some more thoughts to the issue and recommend we publish as is. I'm reopening Jacksonville PR and leaving it up to the approval & merge team.

[claudealdric]

I'll take this one and create the template from it. Please feel free to revise the content as needed.

[dionlarson]

@caldric there's already a PR (#887). The discussion is over whether or not it's okay to publish something so long -- especially since it breaks the "send email" button.

[adeareardon]

Dear Mayor and City Coucil,

My name is [NAME] and I am a resident of [YOUR DISTRICT]. I am a citizen who is disturbed by the injustice and brutality carried out by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Racist police violence doesn’t just happen in other cities - it happens in Jacksonville too. Our community has a long history of racist policy in housing and school segregation. Black citizens have been subjected to centuries of economic and social exclusion in Jacksonville. Our history still causes inequality today, and these issues must become financial priorities in order to heal from our history. We want change to be made to the way our city allocates its funds. I urge you to reallocate the City of Jacksonville’s budget ethically. Commit to our city’s Black communities to combat an over-investment in their criminalization and discrimination. The City Council can take a stand for racial justice by majorly defunding policing and investing in Black communities. Provide relief to those in our community that are victimized by the structural racism that Jacksonville was built upon, and that JSO enforces. Deprioritize JSO’s budget and reallocate funds towards the following social services: Community Development, Affordable Housing Programs, Eviction Diversions, COVID Relief and Healthcare, Substance Abuse Treatment Services, Education, Childcare, Transportation, Jobs, and Parks & Recreation. All of these sectors will facilitate the dismantling of racial inequality and will support social justice. This action will reflect the decades of research showing that social programs, education, and a living wage are more successful at promoting the safety of a city than policing or prisons. Ending police brutality and bringing justice to our city should be a budget priority. Overpoliced communities are not safe communities. Thriving communities are safe communities, and communities thrive when they are well-resourced. JSO has been a waste of our resources. Last year, the JSO budget was $478,386,277. This means JSO was our single largest expense; more costly than all other city departments combined! JSO holds responsibility over community issues that they are fundamentally unable to address. We have seen mounting evidence that police departments are ineffective institutions that marginalize minority communities and put citizens at risk of injury and death. Our city needs EMTs, social workers, and other social service providers to respond to the majority of current police business, including health and wellness checks, domestic/sexual violence situations, and basic documentation around break-ins, vandalism, and wrecks. Usually, when police are dispensed, rather than qualified medical, psychiatric, and social workers, the effect is to bring violence where none previously existed. Jacksonville’s needs must be addressed by the provision of care, not the threat of violence. JSO offers “unlimited overtime pay for all” through Operation Safe and Sound, which oftentimes is paid out to officers responsible for harassing minorities. We don’t need a militarized police force. Divest from offensive weapons. Offensive weapons are known to escalate violence. If you want to promote community safety, dedicate yourselves fully to ending poverty– don’t give the police force another $478 million+ to spend on riot gear, grenades, and weapons to use against your own city. We must take a hard look at the ways that the current system in place fails to serve–and actively harms–our community, and come together to reimagine the role of policing. Do not forget our communities of color who are disproportionate targets of police violence. Our police department is, quite frankly, upholding policies and practices that allow white supremacy to take Black lives every single day. As the City Council, it is your duty to represent your constituents. I am urging you to completely revise the budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Mayor Curry, can I count on you to pass an alternative budget that puts a focus on social service programs?

Sincerely, [NAME] [ADDRESS] [EMAIL] [PHONE NUMBER]

[adeareardon]

I have shortened the email in order to make it more compatible.

[teddywilson]

Let's trim this down even further. IMO, this is a bit too long

[adeareardon]

I just need this to be able to be turned into a link. Once I have this completed I have a team of people that will be sending about 1,000 of these per day. Our budget is being finalized in less than a month for FY21.

[chase-jones]

From https://features.propublica.org/walking-while-black/jacksonville-pedestrian-violations-racial-profiling/

"Blacks, then, were nearly three times as likely as whites to be ticketed for a pedestrian violation."

"Tickets for some of the less familiar statutes were issued even more disproportionately to blacks. Seventy-eight percent of all tickets written for “walking in the roadway where sidewalks are provided” were issued to blacks. As well, blacks accounted for 68 percent of all recipients of tickets issued for “failing to cross the road at a right angle or shortest route.”"

Could be added to first paragraph to use data to show issues talked about.

[adeareardon]

I had to majorly shorten it. It's at maximum length currently.