It is beyond time that the city budget prioritizes ways to actually meet the immediate needs of Detroit's working class rather than protecting and further enriching the politicians and billionaires.

The FY2021 general fund budget allocated:

• $315 million to Detroit Police Department

• $13 million to Health

• $19 million to Housing

• ZERO to Transportation

Let's Reimagine Public Safety

City council recently approved a $220,000 contract for flawed, racist facial recognition software and the city will likely pay out millions in lawsuits after its misuse led to two false arrests. What else could we do with $220,000?

• Create rapid response teams to deal with mental health crises, domestic violence calls, situations of substance abuse and other emergencies. These teams can be trained to handle disputes in a nonviolent manner.

• Provide after-hours child care at elementary schools and free or low-cost preschool

• Improve service on key public transportation lines

• Train 40 new carpenters or 25 new electricians and welders to find steady unionized work and receive a living wage. Folks that have living-wage jobs are far less likely to have run-ins with the police.

In a recent study by the University of Michigan, Detroiters said they wanted:

• access to jobs that pay a living wage

• equity in education, affordable housing, and accessible public transportation

• for the people who run the businesses in our city to LIVE in our city

• to learn how to run our own businesses

• to center community voices and focus on spending that improves communities

What Would You Prioritize In Our City’s Next Budget?

By reinvesting money in Detroit’s working class instead of continuing to expand the police budget, we can address the immediate needs of the people rather than those of the politicians and billionaires.

Sign our petition demanding that in the FY2022 budget, Detroit City Council begin to divest from the Detroit Police Department and reinvest those funds into social services and community programs such as housing, healthcare, transportation, city parks and recreation centers, mental health services, and alternative crisis response systems - all of which are proven to increase safety and security in neighborhoods.

Join Detroit DSA by clicking here! We believe that our economy should be built democratically, by and for working people, not by billionaires for profit. We know our economic system is rooted in white supremacy and the capitalist class depends on racism to divide and oppress the working class.