Seattle City Council Backs Call to Defund the Police by 50%
by Joel B. Pollak
A veto-proof majority of the Seattle City Council backed a proposal Thursday to defund the Seattle Police Department by 50% — including a proposal to remove 911 dispatchers from police control and to “imagine life beyond policing.”
The Seattle Times reported:
A majority of Seattle City Council members now say they agree with a high-level proposal by advocates to defund the Police Department by 50% and reallocate the dollars to other community needs.
…
That means seven of nine council members are on board with the idea, though they have yet to say exactly how they intend to make the cuts; six votes are needed to pass budget-related legislation and to override a mayoral veto. [Mayor Jenny] Durkan has not backed a 50% reduction.
Decriminalize Seattle and King County Equity Now are new coalitions that have emerged during the recent Black Lives Matter protests and that count a number of community organizations led by Black people as endorsers.
The activists’ four-point plan, according to the Times, is as follows:
- Remove Seattle’s 911 dispatchers from police control
- Scale up community-based solutions to public safety
- Fund a community-led process to “imagine life beyond policing.”
- Invest in affordable housing
full story at https://www.breitbart.com/crime/2020/07/10/seattle-city-council-backs-call-to-defund-the-police-by-50/