Dear Phoenix Mayor and Council members,
My name is [NAME] and I live in [DISTRICT OR CITY]. I am writing to you as a constituent who is disturbed by the injustices and brutality carried out by police forces across the country, and particularly in the Phoenix PD.
In February, the council approved a community review board and Office of Accountability and Transparency. They were given the power to:
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Investigate and provide independent reports on police use-of-force incidents and citizen complaints
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Make disciplinary recommendations for individual officers to the Police chief
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Recommend policy changes based on research and community feedback
When the council approved the plan, it anticipated it would cost about $3 million, but in Wednesday’s 2020-21 budget decision it only received $400,000. In 2019, The Phoenix PD received $721 million from the City of Phoenix. The current City Manager recommendation is $741 million, a $20 million increase, yet they can’t provide $3 million to OAT.
Ending police brutality should be a budget priority. Justice should be a budget priority. Health and safety--which are proven to be better promoted through social programs and education than policing--should be a priority. I demand that you, as a representative of your Phoenix constituents, fully fund OAT, and redirect a meaningful portion of the Phoenix PD budget to social services, cultural programs, and education, which are backbones of any healthy community. Thank you.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME][ADDRESS]
[EMAIL][PHONE NUMBER]