Dear Mayor Taylor and Council Members, My name is Caitlyn Marianacci and I'm a resident of Menlo Park. In light of the continuous murders of Black people by police across the country and Menlo Park Police Department's track record of racial profiling and hiring of officers with records of racist misconduct, I urge you to defund the police department. I saw that in the 2019-20 fiscal year budget report for the city of Menlo Park, the police department makes up the second largest portion of the expenditures. This must change. The budget should reflect our values, and I don't believe the current budget does. I know that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a decrease in city funds, just as it has resulted in loss of income for many in our community. I ask that in the upcoming annual budget, you significantly decrease the portion of the budget that goes to the police, and invest more in the social services people rely on, especially the Black and Brown citizens of Menlo Park. In addition, I ask that you make a plan to eliminate the segment of the police department that is funded by Facebook. It’s outrageous that we have city police funded by and accountable to a private company. Thank you, Caitlyn Marianacci 300 Menlo Oaks Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025 Received on Mon Jun 08 2020 - 12:00:58 PDT
