We demand that there is no increase in the FY 2021 budget for the Santa Rosa Police Department. We firmly believe that a portion of funds previously allocated to police should be redirected to programs that better support people of color and low-income members of our community who need it most.

In 2018-2019, the city of Santa Rosa spent $64,101,112 on funding for the local police department. The city spent 35% of their annual budget on the police, but only spent 1% on Housing and Community Services and 10% on Recreation & Parks programs. The City Council states that they want to "foster neighborhood partnerships and strengthen cultural assets", "invest in and sustain infrastructure and transportation", and "meet housing needs", yet they spent 24% more of their annual budget on the Police Department than combined programs that would achieve their goals in supporting essential services in the community.

The systematic examples of abuse of power, resulting in the unjust murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Andy Lopez, and countless other people of color, urges the fact that the police should be defunded. This would include the gradual process of the City of Santa Rosa reallocating its resources and funding away from teargas, plastic bullets, & militarized weapons for the Santa Rosa Police Department and towards affordable housing, funding for schools in low income neighborhoods, and other programs that support jobs, health, and healing for the at-risk, low-income, and people of color in our community. We would ultimately like to see the local police protect our community members who are homeless, low-income, at-risk, and minorities just as equally as those who are white and of higher class.

Enough is enough. 

We need an immediate end to the systemic racism that exists in Santa Rosa. 

We need acknowledgment and accountability for the inherent pain and injustice afflicted on the minorities in our community.

We need investment in the health and prosperity of our neighbors who need it most.

We need divestment in the police force.

We need to #DEFUNDTHEPOLICE.