No Change? No Money!

UPDATE: The Mayor's administration has withdrawn this item for Monday August 31, so there will be no vote.

The police are asking for more money, and so far we've seen no change.

Let's not let Spokane City Council reward this behavior. Contact them now!

When SCAR and coalition partners demanded changes in Spokane's policing and community priorities, and the people of Spokane made hundreds of phone calls and sent thousands of emails affirming these demands, Spokane City Council members listened by unanimously rejecting a contract to weaken police accountability despite pleas from a united Mayor, Chief of Police, and Spokane Police Guild.

Since then, City Council has issued resolutions and statements, planned listening sessions and negotiated a “framework for dialogue” among themselves, and vocally committed to progress in policing and racial justice. We appreciate their words, but we await their accompanying action. City Hall says they're still listening and have proposals. We have proposals too—and if they are listening, they will reject an emergency budget INCREASE for the Spokane Police Department.

Next Monday, the Spokane City Council will vote on an emergency budget request from the Spokane Police Department of $114,200 of state and federal funds to spend on unmarked vehicles, night vision hardware, and x-ray equipment, among other items. The money, provided by Washington State, is exclusively for policing and cannot be reallocated. The City Council, however, controls whether the money is released to the SPD.

With the Platform for Change, we are demanding a major pivot in priorities. We need to see a shift from blank checks for police that don't keep us safe to a massive investment in a shared vision of community safety that work for everyone. Ending police violence will require a thoughtful, deliberate, and participatory approach, and we invite City Council to be a part of it.

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No Change? No Money!

Dear [elected official],

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Amid community calls for defunding and demilitarization, the SPD requested an emergency vote for additional funding. While I understand this will not be on the agenda on Monday, I am writing to express my strong concerns.

A budget increase for SPD based on a vague and incomplete budget request doesn’t enhance accountability or transparency. While the request - $114,200 from state and federal funds - might seem like a drop in the bucket in the context of a multi-million-dollar department budget, failing to ask questions or examine the police budget is how police power is able to expand unchecked.

Spokane still has the fifth most deadly police force in the United States. Black residents in Spokane are five times more likely to be arrested. The impunity of police has been achieved by slow, opaque growth through the decades and with the implicit understanding that they would be deployed disproportionately against Black Indigenous People of Color. Today we demand better. We are having a national reckoning on policing and Spokane is no different.

With the Platform for Change, we are demanding a major pivot in priorities. We need to see a shift from blank checks for police that don’t keep us safe to a massive investment in a shared vision of community safety that work for everyone. Ending police violence will require a thoughtful, deliberate, and participatory approach, and we need City Council to be a part of it.

Sincerely, [Your information here]