To Mayor Jensen, Vice Mayor Spector, Town Council Members, and Elected Officers and Staff,
My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am a resident of Los Gatos. I am writing to urge you to defund the Los Gatos Police Department.
LGPD takes an enormous share of the town's general fund at 36.7%. Compared to the FY 2019-20 adopted budget, the proposed budget for FY 2020-21 increases the funding for the LGPD by $647,039, while decreasing the budget for Community Development by $243,069. The proposed budget for the LGPD is more than that of Community Development, Parks & Public Works, and Library Services combined. This investment in policing has not made us safer. Instead, LGPD has served as a lethal threat to Los Gatos' Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. With Los Gatos' current finances in dire jeopardy due to the COVID-19 financial crisis, it is clear that the LGPD budget must be reallocated.
As a Los Gatos resident, I demand that you take immediate action and update the FY 2020-21 budget beginning July 1, 2020 to do the following:
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Reduce LGPD’s allocation from the General Fund.
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Discontinue use of general fund dollars to pay for settlements due to police murder, misconduct, and negligence.
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Invest in housing, jobs, youth programs, restorative justice, and mental health workers to keep the community safe.
I urge you to advocate for a meaningful reallocation of the town's expenditures: away from policing, and towards social programs and resources that support housing, jobs, education, health care, child care, and other critical community needs.
Los Gatos cannot wait any longer for a budget that meets the needs of all its residents. The only way to achieve this is to take immediate steps to divest from LGPD.
Thank you,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]
[YOUR EMAIL]
[YOUR PHONE NUMBER]