HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/1/2021 Item 6a, Turrini-Smith
Wilbanks, Megan
From:rio turrini-smith <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Against police budget expansion
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Dear San Luis Obispo City Councilmembers,
I am a Cal Poly graduate and six year resident of San Luis Obispo asking you to NOT PASS the proposed city budget as
is. Increasing the SLO-PD budget goes directly against the needs and wishes of your constituents. We are a city in
desperate need of low, very-low, and no income housing and other direct expense-relief for our community members at
all income levels. Eliminating the cannabis officer position is a necessary step but it is not enough. I ask you to use the
ongoing police union contract negotiations to REDUCE the police budget and officer headcount. Divest $5 million from
the existing police budget and invest in rent relief and other financial support for the bottom 10% income residents.
The proposed SLO-PD projects receiving increased funding are not effective public safety measures. Meeting the basic
housing needs of our lowest-income community members and other rent-relief measures for those impacted by over a
year and a half of pandemic financial strain will keep our whole community safer and healthier than increased funding
for police diversity training and new police vehicles will. The money is there if you divest from policing and reallocate
from capital improvement projects to directly meet the needs of our community. This re-prioritization is difficult but
necessary to move our city and your constituents into a safer, more productive, more economically sound future.
Thank you for your time,
Rio Turrini-Smith
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