Reported by reporter Chen Chengwei/ Wu Lun 2021-02-25 02:14
(Translated from original Chinese article)
“Divestment Oakland police budget Alliance” (Defund Oakland Police Coalition) held the 24th press conference and released a report in response to the “Oakland remodeling Gonggonganquan Task Force” (Reimagining Public Safety Task Force) released draft recommendations.
Cat Brooks, co-founder of the Anti-Police-Terror Project and executive director of the Justice Teams Network, said the alliance is excited about the draft because these proposals will provide a real opportunity Used to change, reimagine and develop the form of housing and public safety. At the same time, she believes that this is very important not only for Wulun, but also for the entire country. “For more than ten years, Wulun has been a pioneer in criminal justice reform in the United States. With the progress of Wulun, the whole country is also improving.” Saving Wulun’s life is saving the lives of the whole country.
The divestment was initiated by the Anti-Police Violence Project five years ago, and now there are 13 cross-party Uronn grassroots organizations. Saabir Lockett, director of the East Bay Sustainable Economic Alliance (EBASE) and the Faith Alliance for a Moral Economy (Faith Alliance for a Moral Economy), said that history and recent events continue to make people understand that “cultural change” is not enough. “The only reasonable way is to withdraw funds from the police department and invest it in projects and services that have been proven to support the community and increase safety.”
“Anti Police-Terror Project and Justice Teams Network” policy director James Burch said that more than 50% of people killed by law enforcement have mental health problems. disease. Among them are a large number of African and Hispanic victims. “We need experts, treatment methods and compassion for the mental health crisis, not police badges and guns.” Birch believes that people’s mental health problems need to be addressed first.
“Oakland Rising” (Oakland Rising) acting executive director Su Ke (liz Suk) said that the Oakland Police Department has been spending a lot of money from the regular budget to work overtime. She said that there is a gap of 62 million yuan in the 2020 budget of the Wulun City Government, and 35 million yuan of the excess expenditure comes from the Wulun Police Department, of which 19 million yuan is unauthorized overtime. “This situation cannot continue.”
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