Dear Upland Mayor and City Council,
My name is [YOUR NAME], and I am a resident of Upland. I am writing to demand that the City Council adopt a budget that prioritizes community wellbeing and redirects funding away from the police.
We are in the midst of widespread upheaval over the systemic violence of policing. This, combined with a global pandemic with severe economic consequences, brings the issue of police budgeting to the forefront.
The 2019-20 Upland budget called for 54% of its General Fund Expenditure ($22.6 million of $41.9 million) to go towards the Upland Police Department, an even larger proportion than cities like Oakland (41%) and Houston (32%). Furthermore, the majority of the 460K increase to the maintenance and operations budget belonged to the police.
I demand the Upland City Council meaningfully defund Upland PD. I join the calls of those across the country demanding a budget that adequately and effectively meets the needs of its citizens during this trying and uncertain time.
Thank you for your time,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]
[YOUR PHONE]
[YOUR EMAIL]