add plano, tx

[sumz16]

plano defund template.pdf

[mahrer]

Copying and pasting the template here for ease of editing:

TO: ​mayor@plano.gov​, ​ricksmith@plano.gov​, ​aricciardelli@plano.gov​, ​mariatu@plano.gov​, ​rickgrady@plano.gov​, shelbywilliams@plano.gov​, ​kayciprince@plano.gov​, ​lilybao@plano.gov​, ​Kcrimmins@plano.gov​, policechief@plano.gov​, ​dancu@plano.gov​, ​sandrat@plano.gov​, ​jasonc@plano.gov​, ​dannyp@plano.gov​, miket@plano.gov​, ​courtneyn@plano.gov​, ​paigem@plano.gov​, ​Matt.Shaheen@house.texas.gov​, district67.leach@house.texas.gov​, ​angela.paxton@senate.texas.gov​

SUBJECT: [INSERT UNIQUE SUBJECT LINE] MESSAGE: (DON’T FORGET TO REPLACE THE [X]’S WITH YOUR INFO)

Hello,

My name is [​NAME​]. I am a resident of Plano, Texas and I am emailing today to demand a complete overhaul on our Plano Police Department in light of the Black Lives Matter protests being demonstrated across the US, but specifically our city.

WE ARE JOINING TOGETHER TO DEMAND THAT YOU, MY LOCAL OFFICIALS, WILL:

1. Vote no on all increases to police budgets
2. Vote yes to decrease police spending and budgets
3. Vote yes to increase spending on Health care, education and community programs that keep us safe.

The militarized tactics that police departments across the country have used against its citizens in response to peaceful protesting is unacceptable and unwarranted. To ensure your dedication to our city and citizens, I demand that you defund the Plano Police Department and start providing more support and funding towards our community efforts and organizations that address our other issues. By doing so, I believe this will prevent further police brutality and violence in the future.

Black communities are living in persistent fear of being killed by state authorities like police, immigration agents or even white vigilantes who are emboldened by state actors. According to the Urban Institute, in 1977, state and local governments spent $60 billion on police and corrections . In 2017, they spent $194 billion. A 220 percent increase. Despite continued profiling, harassment, terror and killing of Black communities, local and federal decision-makers continue to invest in the police, which leaves Black people vulnerable and our communities no safer.

Where could that money go? It could go towards building healthy communities, to the health of our elders and children,to neighborhood infrastructure, to education, to childcare, to support a vibrant Black future. The possibilities are endless.

We join in solidarity with the freedom fighters in Minneapolis, Louisville, and across the United States. And we call for the end to police terror.

Sincerely, [NAME] [PHONE_NUMBER] [EMAIL] [ADDRESS]

[stephbwills]

Hi @sumz16! Thanks for your interest in adding Plano to the site. Can you provide more detail about the city budget to make a more compelling argument, showing the disparities in numbers?To get your submission published quicker, please provide source(s) for the data as well.

Please see our email style guide for some suggestions.

And more specifically, maybe there's something to dig into here:

I demand that you provide more support and funding towards our community efforts and organizations that address our other issues.

In 2017, they spent $194 billion. A 220 percent increase. Despite continued profiling, harassment, terror and killing of Black communities, local and federal decision-makers continue to invest in the police, which leaves Black people vulnerable and our communities no safer.

Like, how much support are community efforts getting relative to PD? And in 2017, how much did Plano spend? Maybe this is a good start: http://budget.finances.plano.gov/#!/year/default