Defund BPD Fund Our Future
Mayor and City Council of Bellingham
The numbers as well as the lived experiences of Black, Indigenous,
and people of color prove that the local police are part of a racist
system that threatens their lives and well-being. Millions of dollars and
untold energy has gone into the empty promise of “reform,” which is
now even being co-opted by racist organizations profiting off of the
suffering of low-income BIPOC communities. Without accountability,
we shouldn’t expect it to be any different here.
Therefore, in honor of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and all other victims and survivors of police brutality, we are calling for the City of Bellingham to #defundBPD and #defendourfuture.
Defunding the police would help address the shortfall created by the COVID pandemic and more adequately fund proven public safety solutions that we all know actually work to keep people safe. Let’s open our eyes to the subdued and racist history of the Bellingham police, their wasteful spending, and the costs of their bad decisions. Let’s actually invest in people and our communities and make sure our officials heed our calls to action.
Petition by
To:
Mayor and City Council of Bellingham
From:
[Your Name]
We urge you, our mayor and members of the city council, to heed our call to action and show you can share our vision for a healthy and striving future for our community.
We know the most important way this can be done is by drastically defunding your police department because it imminently hurts and damages Black communities, Indigenous communities, and communities of color. We call on you to pledge to the following by June 30 at 8:00 am.
1. To never again vote to increase police funding or to increase the police department's budget.
2. To propose and vote for at least a $835,000 cut from BPD's budget as the City responds to projected COVID-19 shortfalls.
3. To protect and expand current investment in community-led health and safety strategies, instead of investing in police.
4. To do everything in my power to compel BPD and all law enforcement agencies to immediately cease enacting violence on community members.
Our people are hurting, and Black and Indigenous communities are crying out for health and safety in the midst of a pandemic. The time is now to invest in a healthy and thriving future for our people and community.