16 20-0501 Subject: Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Budget Amendments
From: Council President Kaplan And Councilmember Bas
Recommendation: Adopt A Resolution Amending The City Of Oakland's Fiscal Year 2020-21 Budget
Oakland already has the lowest officer to crime ratio of any department in the country. "Defunding OPD" without a reasonable plan as to what to replace OPD with is misguided and will only harm the people this amendment attempts to "protect".
As an Oakland resident for the past two years I strongly support Council President Kaplan and Councilmember Bas' proposal to reallocate funds from OPD. That money would be better spent addressing the root causes of crime by expanding social services and removing that burden from officers. Keep our community safe!
My name is Hunter King and I live in district 5. As a city, we cannot afford police violence or the violence of displacement. I urge you to IMMEDIATELY extend Oakland's eviction moratorium until the state of emergency is lifted. Experts warn of a tsunami of evictions due to COVID-19. Like the pandemic and police brutality, communities of color will bear the brunt of the crisis. Housing keeps us safe, not the police. City Council must Defund OPD by adopting Kaplan/Bas's cuts of at least an additional 11.4M and reimagine public safety. They must also extend the Eviction Moratorium until at least the end of the local state of emergency and pass the Tenant Protection Upgrades to prevent tenants from being harassed out of their homes now and after the pandemic.
My name is Monica Ramos. I am an Oakland resident, and I live in district 3. I support the resolution to divest from Oakland Police Department, and to reinvest that money in our community. OPD is supposed to protect and serve, but instead there have been countless examples of them using their force to terrorize residents. I remember Celeste Guap. I remember Joshua Pawlik. I remember Shaleem Tindle. They don’t need 44% of the budget. We need to use those resources for social services. We can’t even provide basic assistance for food or housing because the police are taking too much of the budget. The city needs this resolution now.
District 3 resident/voter. We must stop investing in law enforcement that directly harms, terrorizes, and kills the community it is supposed to protect. 44% of Oakland's general fund goes to OPD; that's more than 14 million dollars annually that should be spent on the community. Spend our money on affordable housing, mental health care, education, unemployment, reparations, restorative justice, and food security. Listen to the people, listen to APTP. Defund OPD.
As an Oakland D2 resident I support these budget amendments. I am confident that Oakland as a community can add more value to emergency response and public safety than Oakland police currently do.
I strongly support the move to re-allocate more money from the OPD budget toward initiatives that will truly keep our community members - especially Black and brown community members - safe and thriving.
As a District 4 resident, and special educator, I voice my strong support for Council President Kaplan and Councilmember Bas's proposal.
It is time to prioritize community over policing and demonstrate real care for the residents of Oakland. During the COVID-19 crisis and as we reckon with the systemic racism imbued in all our institutions, including OPD, we need to ensure that our budget reflects the morals of our city. Now, more than ever, we need to prioritize education, mental health support, housing support, and other social programs. Divest from OPD and invest in Oakland community support.
District 4 resident and voter. I support the budget amendment to decrease OPD’s budget. I hope Oakland will continue to take further steps to defund and abolish the police, instead allocating funds towards community services that help rather than harm.
I am a longtime resident of District 1 and was a recent co-chair of the East Bay Democratic Socialists of America, 2,000 members strong. I urge the Council to support a substantial defunding of Oakland Police Department, at very least beginning with Councilmember Bas's proposal. Oaklanders need city budget to support social housing, community violence prevention programs, and green union jobs--not budget for violence against Black & brown lives. Tens of thousands of Oaklanders are watching. We will remember the City Councilmembers who protect police violence--and we will organize to hold you accountable and get you out of office. Sincerely, Keith Brower Brown, member of UAW Local 2865, East Bay DSA
Resident of District 4 and I strongly support the proposed budget amendment by Councilmember Bas and Council President Kaplan. We need to reduce OPD’s budget and reallocate this money into vital community programs.
I support the budget amendment to decrease significantly the budget for Oakland Police Department. Housing keeps us safe and healthy, not the police. (District 4 resident)
Resident of district 3. I strongly support the defunding of the OPD and redirection of the funds to uplifting community programs. Money spent to criminalize, imprison, and brutalize community members whom are disproportionately black and brown people needs to be spent where it will benefit these people. Mental health, schools, anti-violence, housing, parks, etc. Please take this opportunity to stand with the people. This is a historical moment in your hands to change the way Oakland imagines safety.
I am a District 1 resident and I strongly support this budget amendment and the reallocation of OPD funds towards substantive community care work. Looking forward to further defunding and the swift redistribution of these resources where they are most needed, especially rapid response mental health care networks, restorative justice programs, food justice work, and deeply affordable housing.
I am a resident of District 3 (and VOTER). I support the Anti-Police Terror Project’s demand to defund the Oakland police by up to 50% starting with Councilmember Bas’ and Kaplan's proposal (thank you!) to defund a portion of the police budget today and re-allocate those funds to the community in the form of mental health, education, and housing support.
All eyes are on the City Council today. The citizens of Oakland have spoken up over and over in the form of hundreds of phone calls, thousands of emails and hours of comment in the City Council meetings. It was a slap in the face for the "Equity Caucus" to force through a budget that was not reviewed by the public nor given proper review by the entire council. We are going to vote you all out of office for continuing to obstruct our key demands to defund OPD by 50% and reinvest in the community and instead pushing through weak proposals that serve your own selfish interests and continue to protect the OPD.
This is shockingly foolish. Oakland has one of the highest crimes rates per officer already. This is not a safe city and the City Council is not doing its job to protect her citizens.
We need more police and better schools.
The city will become even more unlivable if this passes.
My name is Brandi from district 2. I support divesting from policing and defunding OPD to invest in housing, jobs, education, and health services. I also support community based options to respond to mental health crisis, substance abuse, traffic, and other non-violent crimes. I would further like to see community based violence reduction practices like conflict resolution and restorative justice.
My name is Luke White and I am an Oakland resident currently attending Berkeley Law. We have waiting long enough. It is time to act. The police have been systematically destroying the lives of black and brown people for over a century and a half, ever since their origins as slave catchers. What use is our money when it goes into a cycle of incarceration and violence? Enough. We cannot support a system that so brazenly flaunts its power and drains our resources. I'm sick and tired of seeing the police arresting those experiencing homelessness, only to release them back out onto the street. I'm sick of domestic violence reports not being taken seriously. I'm sick of a system that criminalizes poverty.
What we need is change. What we need is people who are equipped to *help* those in need, not beat them with batons and throw them in jail. For those experiencing homelessness: social workers. For those in poverty: more funds for education and social safety nets. For those experiencing domestic violence: a safe place to report their problems and gain assistance to escape the situation. Our money is going into a pit of white supremacy and violence.
I support Bas and Kaplan's proposal to divert police spending to community needs and make a commitment to develop a plan for a 50% reduction in the OPD budget.
Oakland already has the lowest officer to crime ratio of any department in the country. "Defunding OPD" without a reasonable plan as to what to replace OPD with is misguided and will only harm the people this amendment attempts to "protect".
As an Oakland resident for the past two years I strongly support Council President Kaplan and Councilmember Bas' proposal to reallocate funds from OPD. That money would be better spent addressing the root causes of crime by expanding social services and removing that burden from officers. Keep our community safe!
My name is Hunter King and I live in district 5. As a city, we cannot afford police violence or the violence of displacement. I urge you to IMMEDIATELY extend Oakland's eviction moratorium until the state of emergency is lifted. Experts warn of a tsunami of evictions due to COVID-19. Like the pandemic and police brutality, communities of color will bear the brunt of the crisis. Housing keeps us safe, not the police. City Council must Defund OPD by adopting Kaplan/Bas's cuts of at least an additional 11.4M and reimagine public safety. They must also extend the Eviction Moratorium until at least the end of the local state of emergency and pass the Tenant Protection Upgrades to prevent tenants from being harassed out of their homes now and after the pandemic.
My name is Monica Ramos. I am an Oakland resident, and I live in district 3. I support the resolution to divest from Oakland Police Department, and to reinvest that money in our community. OPD is supposed to protect and serve, but instead there have been countless examples of them using their force to terrorize residents. I remember Celeste Guap. I remember Joshua Pawlik. I remember Shaleem Tindle. They don’t need 44% of the budget. We need to use those resources for social services. We can’t even provide basic assistance for food or housing because the police are taking too much of the budget. The city needs this resolution now.
District 3 resident/voter. We must stop investing in law enforcement that directly harms, terrorizes, and kills the community it is supposed to protect. 44% of Oakland's general fund goes to OPD; that's more than 14 million dollars annually that should be spent on the community. Spend our money on affordable housing, mental health care, education, unemployment, reparations, restorative justice, and food security. Listen to the people, listen to APTP. Defund OPD.
As an Oakland D2 resident I support these budget amendments. I am confident that Oakland as a community can add more value to emergency response and public safety than Oakland police currently do.
I strongly support the move to re-allocate more money from the OPD budget toward initiatives that will truly keep our community members - especially Black and brown community members - safe and thriving.
As a District 4 resident, and special educator, I voice my strong support for Council President Kaplan and Councilmember Bas's proposal.
It is time to prioritize community over policing and demonstrate real care for the residents of Oakland. During the COVID-19 crisis and as we reckon with the systemic racism imbued in all our institutions, including OPD, we need to ensure that our budget reflects the morals of our city. Now, more than ever, we need to prioritize education, mental health support, housing support, and other social programs. Divest from OPD and invest in Oakland community support.
District 4 resident and voter. I support the budget amendment to decrease OPD’s budget. I hope Oakland will continue to take further steps to defund and abolish the police, instead allocating funds towards community services that help rather than harm.
I am a longtime resident of District 1 and was a recent co-chair of the East Bay Democratic Socialists of America, 2,000 members strong. I urge the Council to support a substantial defunding of Oakland Police Department, at very least beginning with Councilmember Bas's proposal. Oaklanders need city budget to support social housing, community violence prevention programs, and green union jobs--not budget for violence against Black & brown lives. Tens of thousands of Oaklanders are watching. We will remember the City Councilmembers who protect police violence--and we will organize to hold you accountable and get you out of office. Sincerely, Keith Brower Brown, member of UAW Local 2865, East Bay DSA
Resident of District 4 and I strongly support the proposed budget amendment by Councilmember Bas and Council President Kaplan. We need to reduce OPD’s budget and reallocate this money into vital community programs.
I support the budget amendment to decrease significantly the budget for Oakland Police Department. Housing keeps us safe and healthy, not the police. (District 4 resident)
Resident of district 3. I strongly support the defunding of the OPD and redirection of the funds to uplifting community programs. Money spent to criminalize, imprison, and brutalize community members whom are disproportionately black and brown people needs to be spent where it will benefit these people. Mental health, schools, anti-violence, housing, parks, etc. Please take this opportunity to stand with the people. This is a historical moment in your hands to change the way Oakland imagines safety.
I am a District 1 resident and I strongly support this budget amendment and the reallocation of OPD funds towards substantive community care work. Looking forward to further defunding and the swift redistribution of these resources where they are most needed, especially rapid response mental health care networks, restorative justice programs, food justice work, and deeply affordable housing.
I am a resident of District 3 (and VOTER). I support the Anti-Police Terror Project’s demand to defund the Oakland police by up to 50% starting with Councilmember Bas’ and Kaplan's proposal (thank you!) to defund a portion of the police budget today and re-allocate those funds to the community in the form of mental health, education, and housing support.
All eyes are on the City Council today. The citizens of Oakland have spoken up over and over in the form of hundreds of phone calls, thousands of emails and hours of comment in the City Council meetings. It was a slap in the face for the "Equity Caucus" to force through a budget that was not reviewed by the public nor given proper review by the entire council. We are going to vote you all out of office for continuing to obstruct our key demands to defund OPD by 50% and reinvest in the community and instead pushing through weak proposals that serve your own selfish interests and continue to protect the OPD.
I have been a resident and voter in D1 for nearly 20 years. I strongly support this budget amendment to further defund OPD.
This is shockingly foolish. Oakland has one of the highest crimes rates per officer already. This is not a safe city and the City Council is not doing its job to protect her citizens.
We need more police and better schools.
The city will become even more unlivable if this passes.
I support the police.
My name is Brandi from district 2. I support divesting from policing and defunding OPD to invest in housing, jobs, education, and health services. I also support community based options to respond to mental health crisis, substance abuse, traffic, and other non-violent crimes. I would further like to see community based violence reduction practices like conflict resolution and restorative justice.
My name is Luke White and I am an Oakland resident currently attending Berkeley Law. We have waiting long enough. It is time to act. The police have been systematically destroying the lives of black and brown people for over a century and a half, ever since their origins as slave catchers. What use is our money when it goes into a cycle of incarceration and violence? Enough. We cannot support a system that so brazenly flaunts its power and drains our resources. I'm sick and tired of seeing the police arresting those experiencing homelessness, only to release them back out onto the street. I'm sick of domestic violence reports not being taken seriously. I'm sick of a system that criminalizes poverty.
What we need is change. What we need is people who are equipped to *help* those in need, not beat them with batons and throw them in jail. For those experiencing homelessness: social workers. For those in poverty: more funds for education and social safety nets. For those experiencing domestic violence: a safe place to report their problems and gain assistance to escape the situation. Our money is going into a pit of white supremacy and violence.
It can be different. Defund the OPD.
I support Bas and Kaplan's proposal to divert police spending to community needs and make a commitment to develop a plan for a 50% reduction in the OPD budget.