(AbsoluteNews.com) – Last week, Seattle’s city council pledged to back a plan to cut the police department’s budget by 50%. The decision came after lawmakers received a proposal from the activist group, Decriminalize Seattle. Chief Carmen Best thinks it’s a bad idea and counterproductive.
On July 12, Best wrote a letter to Democratic Mayor Jenny Durkan and called the proposal “political pandering.” She went on to say the budget cut is “not realistic…” In a video to officers on the same day, the chief explained she “will fiercely advocate” for responsible changes to help everyone, but, she isn’t going to support “political gestures or pandering.”
If the department loses that much money, they will also lose something else: jobs. The law enforcement agency will have to let many officers go including some people of color.
Today Chief Best sent a message to officers to convey the financial outlook of the City and address any future cuts that may happen within SPD. 1/4 https://t.co/8KcMk9u2BX
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) July 10, 2020
Forcing Black people to lose jobs they deserve certainly doesn’t sound like something someone who cares about their lives would do. Further, it would make Seattle unsafe for all of its residents.
This “defund the police” movement is spreading across the country and the reality is, it’s poorly thought out. At a time when mobs are taking over the streets, we need more, not fewer cops.
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