HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Budget (5)Dear Mayor Harmon and San Luis Obispo City Council,
My name is Alex Foy and I am a resident of San Luis Obispo and a manager at a local non profit supporting adults with developmental disabilities. I am writing to demand that the San
Luis Obispo City Council adopt a city budget that prioritizes community well-being, and redirects funding away from the police. Non profits like the one I work for are suffering due
to the current budget. If funding isn't provided, we're concerned that our persons served will be directly harmed and many could be left without the care they need! I specifically demand
funding redirected away from the police because law enforcement has only done harm to our population served. It's our policy to call 911 as a last resort in certain situations. On many
occasions our persons served have been directly effected by police brutality and have been pinned to the ground, held at gunpoint, etc. We are all aware that the police are not equipped
for working with this population and I demand that my city reallocate funding from to police to programs like ours, who are actively supporting those with a variety of mental health
differences, and have the training, compassion, time, and understanding necessary for unarmed and peaceful deescalation and implementation of safe support.
In 2019, the City of San Luis Obispo allocated 36.3 million dollars to our police system, an inordinate 27.5% of our total budget. This is compared to just 7.3% of the budget, $9.7 million,
allocated towards community development, with only $1.4 million towards housing development. Next year, the city estimates that there will be a $8.6 million deficit as a result of the
pandemic. The city may recoup these funds by decreasing the police budget.
I demand that the City Council begin meaningfully defunding the San Luis Obispo Police Department and re-allocate those funds to programs proven to more effectively promote a safe and
equitable community. We need funding for community-based mental health services, substance abuse treatment services, affordable housing programs, not police. I demand a budget that
reflects the actual needs of San Luis Obispo residents.
History has shown that police “reform” is not enough. No more money, and more importantly, no more lives must be lost to police. We must take a hard look at the way 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 am urging you to completely revise the budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, and to invest in the people, not the police.
Thank you for your time,
Alex Foy