Learn - Take Action - Be Anti-Racist
What does it mean to defund the police?
MPD.150 - Working towards a police free Minneapolis
A fantastic resource for learning more about why we should dismantle the police and what that really means with a goal towards real structural change. This is specific to Minneapolis, but can be applied anywhere. Pay attention to 10 actions for building a police-free future.
Why it's time to divest from policing
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Decriminalize Seattle shows the drain on resources and how other resources can effectively respond to violence.
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American Friends Service Committee outlines the history of violent policing.
Understanding Police Budgets
Do we spend more on education or the police? This is not an easy comparison, as seen in this article. Funding sources and donation amounts make this a difficult comparison. The police receive massive donations from the military budget for weapons and vehicles. This article also shows what 10-20% cuts in police spending could do for school budgets.
Seattle city council approved efforts to defund the police by 50% to support demands by King County Equity Now and Decriminalize Seattle. They are in the process of understanding police budgets and responsibilities in special 2020 budget sessions. This article shows details on how police budgets are allocated in Seattle.
Take Action - Watch city council budget meetings online and sign up to testify in support of defunding efforts. The leaders need to hear support for this plan. Here is the schedule of meetings. And if you've never testified, send me an email and I can walk you through it.
"The number-one thing you can do is research how much of your city’s budget goes toward police, and lobby your lawmakers to reallocate that spending toward healthcare, education, and housing."
- a good article on. that topic with resources and a link to a toolkit