I stand in solidarity with the demands laid out by Black Lives Matter and BIPOC leadership calling for defunding the police in Bellingham:

I call for at least a 50% cut to Bellingham Police Department funding for the 2021-22 budget and a reallocation of those funds towards community-led health and safety systems, as well as other programs for community wellbeing.

I urge city officials to admit their laxity as complicity, and to restore their integrity and perceived good faith from the community by realizing these demands.

I expect funding to be reallocated from BPD to these programs, in ways that may include funding community organizations who can handle the infrastructure of program creation and/or expansion:

+Expanded mental health services
+Safe, secure, and affordable housing for our community
+Expanded substance abuse treatment and harm reduction services
+Community and Cultural Spaces for Black and Indigenous Folks
+Supporting Black and Indigenous Economic Development
+Expanded Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services
+Worker’s Cooperatives
+Food Sovereignty Programs
+Community Land Trusts
+Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Education/Youth Programs
+Expansion of Early Childcare and Before & After School Care programs

The programs outlined above are examples of what would make our community truly equitable, safe, and thriving. These are some of many community programs and ideas for how to use funds from the BPD budget in a way that prevents crises and suffering, as well as promotes health, wellbeing, and prosperity for marginalized communities, rather than arresting them. I expect you to listen to the needs and ideas of the community when forming budgets. I look forward to receiving your response to these demands.