Dear various Town Hall houses, departments, and their staff,
My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am a resident of [NEIGHBORHOOD]. On June 8th, Town Administrator Melissa Malone submitted a proposed budget for the 2021 fiscal year to the Selectboard. The cuts hit almost every department and job cuts include more than 12 full and part-time workers. In contrast, the police department would receive a budget increase of about $241,000 [1].
Natick must not increase the Natick Police Department budget and instead allocate those funds back into the community. With the rise of COVID-19, the rise of homelessness in our country and the ongoing problems of access to much needed resources around mental health, healthcare, housing and violence prevention, support for communities in need is necessary now, more than ever.
I demand that the City Council defund the Natick Police Department and re-allocate those funds to programs proven to more effectively promote a safe and equitable community: community-based mental health services, substance abuse treatment services, and affordable housing programs.
Thank you,
[YOUR NAME][YOUR ADDRESS]
[YOUR EMAIL][YOUR PHONE NUMBER]
[1] https://www.natickma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9023/FY-2021-Town-Administrators-Preliminary-Budget