Council President González: Summer Budget Rebalancing Effort ‘Charts a Course’ For Community-Informed Public Safety Interventions
– Council President M. Lorena González (Pos. 9, Citywide) issued the following statement after the Seattle City Council, through its summer budget rebalancing process, voted to make initial reductions to Seattle Police Department’s remaining 2020 budget, including a $17 million appropriation to scaling up community-led public safety interventions:
“Today, Council voted on a rebalanced budget package. This budget charts a course for evaluating community-informed public safety interventions.
“We have spent the last 56 days (since June 15, 2020) rebalancing the 2020 budget as a result of the economic crisis related to the COVID-19 pandemic. No one could have anticipated that we would be faced by a global pandemic, an economic crisis and a national racial reckoning that places the responsibility of a path forward squarely at the feet of local leaders. With a lack of unified federal leadership, this growing economic recession means we must do more with much less.
“Our overarching goal was to provide support for more affordable housing, continue to build vibrant communities, and to invest in programs that correct intergenerational wrongs. We cannot afford to lose ground from the hard fought wins that have taken years to achieve.
“Reducing the budget of the Seattle Police Department is a response to the calls for advocating for racial justice and investments in BIPOC communities.
“Our inquest into SPD’s budget revealed 3% of 911 calls result in arrest but 56% of calls involve non-criminal activity. As a City, we cannot look at this data and assume this is a best practice and cost-efficient. What we cando is allow our police to focus on what they are trained to do and fund service providers addressing the more complex issues of housing, substance use disorder, youth violence prevention, affordable healthcare, and more. Funding interventions and casework centered in harm reduction will mean public safety rooted in community and addressing the root causes of why many people utilize 911, rather than funding arrests and incarceration.
“The Council has used the summer rebalancing budget process to consider initial cuts, with more budget allocation decisions to be made in the fall during the Council’s regularly-scheduled budget session.”
Community Investments:
- $10 million to scale up community-led public safety organizations.
- $4 million youth-focused safety programs, including Community Passageways,
- $3 million for participatory budgeting for public safety
Total initial cuts to SPD’s budget during the summer session are a down-payment for future potential reductions to the SPD budget. These reductions equate to nearly $4 million in cuts, which actualized over a year will equate to an estimated $11 million.
Cuts include:
- Cut 32 officers from patrol – $533,000
- Reduced specialized units including officers assigned to mounted unit, school resource officers, homeland security, harbor patrol, SWAT team – $250,000
- Removed officers from Navigation Team, ensuring homeless neighbors are not retraumatized by armed patrol officers – $216,000
- Reduced staff budget through recognizing expected attrition – $500,000
- Reduced administrative costs, including salaries, community outreach, public affairs
- Cut $56,000 from training and travel expenses
- Cut recruitment and retention – $800,000
- Transferred victim advocates from SPD to Human Services Department – $377,000 impact
- Removed two sworn officer positions from the 911 Emergency Call Center
Posted: August 10th, 2020 under News Releases.
Comments
Pingback from Seattle City Council approves millions in police budget cuts as defunding begins | The Red Pill Project
Time August 10, 2020 at 7:16 pm
[…] “Total initial cuts to SPD’s budget during the summer session are a down-payment for future potential reductions to the SPD budget. These reductions equate to nearly $4 million in cuts, which actualized over a year will equate to an estimated $11 million,” according to a release. […]
Pingback from Seattle City Council Passes Plan to Defund Police, Including Cut in Department Chief’s Annual Salary | Geopolitics.icu
Time August 10, 2020 at 10:24 pm
[…] justice and investments in BIPOC communities”, Council President M. Lorena Gonzalez said in a statement on Monday. “Funding interventions and casework centered in harm reduction will mean public […]
Pingback from JTN: Seattle City Council approves millions in police budget cuts as defunding begins – wlvrns!
Time August 10, 2020 at 10:30 pm
[…] “Total initial cuts to SPD’s budget during the summer session are a down-payment for future potential reductions to the SPD budget. These reductions equate to nearly $4 million in cuts, which actualized over a year will equate to an estimated $11 million,” according to a release. […]
Pingback from Seattle police chief to resign as council votes for department cuts – Randy Salars News And Comment
Time August 11, 2020 at 4:15 am
[…] President M. Lorena González, reducing the Seattle Police Department’s budget was "in response to the calls for advocating for racial justice and investments in BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and people […]
Pingback from Actions Have Consequences | Right Wing Granny
Time August 11, 2020 at 4:55 am
[…] Seattle City Council voted to remove approximately $3 million from the Seattle Police Department’s […]
Pingback from Seattle Police Chief Resigns Over Budget, Forced Cuts – LaCorte News
Time August 11, 2020 at 5:55 am
[…] voted to approve a budget plan that would take away approximately $3 million from the department and eliminate around 100 officers […]
Pingback from Seattle Police Chief Announces Retirement After Signing Off On $100,000 Pay Cut And Funding Cuts – ECNT
Time August 14, 2020 at 10:20 pm
[…] said in a statement: “Reducing the budget of the Seattle Police Department is a response to the calls for advocating […]
Pingback from Cities move cautiously on defunding the police — satisfying neither side – Sb Dude
Time August 18, 2020 at 9:20 am
[…] to instead trim about $4 million off the department’s budget this year — according to City Council members — which will result in layoffs and pay cuts for top SPD officers, including Police Chief Carmen […]
Pingback from Cities move cautiously on defunding the police — satisfying neither side | KYR News
Time August 18, 2020 at 9:33 am
[…] opting to instead trim about $4 million off the department’s budget this year — according to City Council members — which will result in layoffs and pay cuts for top SPD officers, including Police Chief Carmen […]
Pingback from Cities move cautiously on defunding the police — satisfying neither side –
Time August 18, 2020 at 9:34 am
[…] opting to instead trim about $4 million off the department’s budget this year — according to City Council members — which will result in layoffs and pay cuts for top SPD officers, including Police Chief Carmen […]
Pingback from Cities move cautiously on defunding the police — satisfying neither side – TOP NEWS
Time August 18, 2020 at 9:37 am
[…] opting to instead trim about $4 million off the department’s budget this year — according to City Council members — which will result in layoffs and pay cuts for top SPD officers, including Police Chief Carmen […]
Pingback from Live: Joe Biden officially becomes the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee at DNC – 19.08.2020 Nr.230 Anul XXII / Anul XXX- RadioMetafora.ro
Time August 18, 2020 at 8:02 pm
[…] opting to instead trim about $4 million off the department’s budget this year — according to City Council members — which will result in layoffs and pay cuts for top SPD officers, including Police Chief Carmen […]
Pingback from Community is invited to help shape the future of the Safe & Thriving Communities Division
Time October 30, 2020 at 12:18 pm
[…] The Mayor intends to guide $100 million a year in support of BIPOC communities. In addition, Seattle City Council recently invested $14 million for community safety programs. The new Safe and Thriving Communities Division consolidates HSD’s existing funding for community […]
Pingback from Media Lied About CHAZ/CHOP – PJ Media – Indeki – Real News Network
Time May 27, 2021 at 6:19 pm
[…] resigned after the city council made the following cuts to the Seattle Police […]
Pingback from Former Seattle Police Chief: The Media Lied About Violence In CHOP Zone – #BLEXIT
Time May 27, 2021 at 7:24 pm
[…] resigned after the city council made the following cuts to the Seattle Police […]
Pingback from Media Lied About CHAZ/CHOP – PJ Media | Political Bomb Show
Time May 27, 2021 at 8:03 pm
[…] resigned after the city council made the following cuts to the Seattle Police […]
Pingback from BREAKING: Democrat-Controlled Seattle Votes To Defund Police As Violent Crime, Far-Left Riots Surge – True News Hub
Time August 10, 2020 at 6:32 pm
[…] Seattle City Council voted to remove approximately $3 million from the Seattle Police Department’s budget, which […]