To whom this may concern, My name is Kaylan Uclaray, and I am a resident of Fremont, California. In light of current events, I urge you to consider significantly decreasing the funding allocated towards the police department of your city. There is a disproportionate amount of money intended to fund the police in most cities’ budgets, funding which can be redirected towards other areas in the city, such as the reinvestment of communities of color. According to a 2017 report https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps://populardemocracy.org/news/publications/freedom-thrive-reimagining-safety-security-our-communities%26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1591339269931000&sa=D&ust=1591339270144000&usg=AFQjCNED31LM1xTaJrSIFXkZU ke05Ogglw> from The Center for Popular Democracy, “police spending vastly outpaces expenditures in vital community resources and services, with the highest percentage being 41.2 percent of general fund expenditures in Oakland.” As this percentage continues to rise, it has become apparent that money that should be spent on important social services is instead being used to fund city police departments. By now, it is widely known that the city of Los Angeles is considering cutting the LAPD budget by up to $150 million https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-06-03/protests-demanding-racial-justice-gain-momentum-across-l-a%2523:~:text%253DAs%252520peaceful%252520protests%252520continue%25252C%252520LAPD,reinvest%2 52520in%252520communities%252520of%252520color%2526text%253DDemonstrators%252520take%252520a%252520knee%252520during%252520protests%252520in%252520Hollywood%252520on%252520Tuesday.%2526text%253DDemonstrators%252520march%252520through%252520Hollywood%252520protesting,George%252520Floyd%252520and%252520police%252520brutality.%26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1591339269932000&sa=D&ust=1591339270145000&usg=AFQjCNEFXI6C2Mm19XzOIHH87mUIZbdeqQ>. Money which will, in turn, be reinvested in communities of color. This is a significant reformatory response that can help prevent unnecessary police violence and allow for the prioritization of spending on community health, education, and affordable housing, therefore increasing the safety of the community. By redirecting the money from the police force, more money will be available for the improvement of essential social services. As stated by Justin Brooks https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps://theappeal.org/defund-police-george-floyd/?fbclid%253DIwAR2hgw0m6-mG6szO7d-uZvFLj18nm0DxHQbC8_f3NIWmHSpUZ4QcOoPnYPY%26amp;sa%3DD%26amp;ust%3D1591339269933000&sa=D&ust=1591339270145000&usg=AFQjCNEh fYzVp0kLWIIC4goe7DwcAB156g>, a second year student at UC Berkeley’s School of Law, money cut from the police department’s budget can be used to “provide our communities with opportunities to flourish,” fund economic programming, community development, and educational programs, and, finally, finance “social services that help victims of poverty and violence.” By undertaking these measures, you will be able to improve community health and education, as well as provide more affordable housing. The environment of your community may improve significantly, not just for African Americans, but for people of all skin colors. I implore you to consider cutting the budget on the police force, as the effect will be overall beneficial towards your entire community. Regards, Kaylan Uclaray Received on Thu Jun 04 2020 - 22:53:54 PDT
