HomeMy WebLinkAboutDefund the SLOPD (3)Dear Mayor Harmon and San Luis Obispo City Council,
My name is Erica, and I am a resident of San Luis Obispo County. 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. In 2019, the City of San Luis Obispo allocated 36.3 million dollars to the police system, an inordinate 27.5% of the 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. (And if you had funded housing, maybe
the police wouldn't be un-homing homeless people from camps like the Bob Jones camp? Bad move) 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 (NOT meaningless ones
with untrained staff like the slo suicide hotline), substance abuse treatment services, affordable housing programs, and food distribution, 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,
Erica Best