Across the country, we are seeing the continued practice of state-sanctioned murder of Black people at the hand of police despite a global pandemic that has frozen nearly every aspect of our lives. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder by MPD police officer Derek Chauvin, we are calling on you as members of City Council to show your commitment to ending police bruality and police killings by voting NO on any budget increase for the Philadelphia Police Department.  

This year’s budget has an increase of at least $14 million dollars reserved for the Philadelphia Police Department. For every dollar spent on Philly police, our city government invests a fraction of that (34 cents to the dollar) on community initiatives and social services. While austerity measures are being utilized for housing, schools, city workers, the arts, and public defenders - the same does not apply for the expansion of the criminalization, surveillance, and policing in the city of Philadelphia.

City Council, we ask that you vote against the $14 million dollar budget increase for the Philadelphia Police Department on June 9 and redistribute these funds to the community initiatives and social service programs that actually keep us safe.