Dear County Commissioners,
My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am a resident of Collier County. I am writing to demand that the County Commissioners adopt a budget that prioritizes community well-being and redirects funding away from the police.
42% of the proposed FY2020-2021 Collier budget is allocated to Law Enforcement, while only 4% is going towards Emergency Services, 0.39% towards the Health Department, and .08% towards Veteran Services. In Collier County, we are notorious for having both an absurd amount of police officers as well as one of the largest spikes in COVID-19, which disproportionately affects the Immokalee farmworkers who have little to no access to healthcare. There is no excuse for overfunding our Law Enforcement while neglecting the Health Department, Veteran Services, Mental Health Services and Emergency Services.
I demand that you, my County officials, will:
- Vote no on all increases to police budgets.
- Vote yes to decrease police spending and budgets.
- Vote yes to increase spending on health care, education and community programs that keep us safe.
- Defund the Collier County Police Department. We need a budget that adequately and effectively meets the needs of Collier County residents during the pandemic and well past it. We need a budget that supports our communities.
I demand that the County Commissioners meaningfully defund the CCPD. I join the calls of those across the country to defund the police. I demand a budget that adequately and effectively meets the needs of at-risk Collier County residents during this trying and uncertain time, when livelihoods are on the line. I demand a budget that supports community well-being.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME][YOUR ADDRESS]
[YOUR EMAIL][YOUR PHONE NUMBER]