Hello,
My name is [NAME]. I am a resident of Dallas, Texas and I am emailing today to demand a complete overhaul on our Dallas Police Department in light of the Black Lives Matter protests being demonstrated across the US, but specifically our city.
WE ARE JOINING TOGETHER TO DEMAND THAT YOU, MY LOCAL 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.
The militarized tactics that our Police Department have used against its citizens in response to peaceful protesting is unacceptable and unwarranted. To ensure your dedication to our city and citizens, I demand that you defund the Dallas Police Department and start providing more support and funding towards our community efforts and organizations that serve our predominantly Latinx and Black communities, as these are the communities that are being targeted the most. By doing so, I believe this will prevent further police brutality and violence in the future.
The Dallas Police Department said that “(they) are dedicated to serving the people of Dallas and strives to reduce crime and provide a safe city.” If this true, we demand you listen to our concerns and implement change immediately.
Black communities are living in persistent fear of being killed by state authorities like police, immigration agents or even white vigilantes who are emboldened by state actors. According to the Urban Institute, in 1977, state and local governments spent $60 billion on police and corrections . In 2017, they spent $194 billion. A 220 percent increase. Despite continued profiling, harassment, terror and killing of Black communities, local and federal decision-makers continue to invest in the police, which leaves Black people vulnerable and our communities no safer.
Where could that money go? It could go towards building healthy communities, to the health of our elders and children,to neighborhood infrastructure, to education, to childcare, to support a vibrant Black future. The possibilities are endless.
We join in solidarity with the freedom fighters in Minneapolis, Louisville, and across the United States. And we call for the end to police terror.
Sincerely,
[NAME][PHONE_NUMBER]
[EMAIL][ADDRESS]