#defundthepolice Statement with BLD PWR

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The mayor's newfound commitment to rolling back the initial increases that he proposed did not come from a sense of commitment to Black community, but because of the pressure of organizers and hundreds of thousands of protestors, who have been rising up all around the city and landed this week at his front door. 

It’s not enough. 

We need to continue to fight to #DefundthePolice because clearly it's working! What's been announced in terms of the proposed $150 million cut to the LAPD budget and $250 million reinvestment in communities of color speaks to the power of organizing. Hundreds of organizers, brought together by Black Lives Matter, developed a set of Black Demands , which quickly brought us to focus on the budget as a statement of values. We, then, forged People's Budget LA to broaden the coalition and moved quickly to engage in a process that countered the mayor's proposal to spend 54% of the City's general fund on police, an increase in police funding at a time with other departments are being slashed and workers are being furloughed. We also initiated a participatory budgeting process, which engaged Angelenos to develop their own spending priorities. 

Similarly, the commitment to a moratorium on the gang database and independent investigations of police is a  result of community pressure led by Black Lives Matter and allies. 

We must take a moment to recognize our own power and this initial step as a testament to it. And we also must remember that the fight is far from over. Our work must continue to move with increased vigor. 

  • In Los Angeles that means voting out District Attorney Jackie Lacey, who refuses to prosecute police who kill our people. 

  • It means removing police from our schools and communities. 

  • It means investing in the resources and services that actually make communities safe, like permanent housing, healthcare (including mental health), good jobs, free public transportation, after school programs, community care teams, environmental protection, parks, libraries, and arts programs. 

  • Public officials are elected to work for the people, not to usher in agendas that speak more to their own political ambitions than community needs. Sometimes they have to be reminded.

#ProsecuteKillerCops #DefundThePolice

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