THIS WELL END WELL: Majority of Seattle council pledges to support Police Department defunding plan laid out by advocates.
In a presentation to the council’s budget committee Wednesday, they said the Police Department’s 2021 budget should be reduced by 50% from the status quo (its budget is $409 million this year). They also said the department’s remaining 2020 budget should be cut by 50% this summer.
Decriminalize Seattle and King County Equity Now laid out a four point proposal for defunding the Police Department:
- Remove Seattle’s 911 dispatchers from police control
- Scale up community-based solutions to public safety
- Fund a community-led process to “imagine life beyond policing.”
- Invest in affordable housing
The aim is “defunding the Seattle Police Department and building a world where we trust and believe in community to provide the safety that we need,” Decriminalize Seattle’s Jackie Vaughn said at a news conference Thursday.
Related: Baltimore Residents Blame Record-High Murder Rate On Lower Police Presence.
More: City of Seattle Tells Employees To Risk Their Safety For Leftist Causes.