#DefundNYPD's Vision for Real Public Safety and Budget Justice

New York City Council

Tracey Fu

In the summer of 2020, millions of people across the country rose up to demand justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and all victims of police violence. Justice for Black lives means investing in communities, yet here in New York City we spend almost $11 billion on policing each year while the services and programs that support poor and working New Yorkers go drastically underfunded.

Even before the COVID-19 crisis, decades of austerity depleted budgets for hospitals, schools, housing, and employment programs. At the same time, "broken windows" and "zero tolerance" models of policing unjustly criminalized thousands. And now, in the midst of a pandemic, vital agencies have faced cuts while municipal workers are threatened with layoffs.

It's time that we reassess our priorities. Do we pour money into punitive practices that undermine community stability and do nothing to address the root causes of violence? Or do we commit to the health, safety, and well-being of all New Yorkers? By reallocating funds from the NYPD's bloated budget to social services and public safety programs, we can begin to build a more just and equitable future for our city.

To learn more about our vision for real public safety and budget justice, read our comprehensive policy platform.

To: New York City Council
From: [Your Name]

I call on members of the New York City Council:

To vote "no" on any budget that does not reallocate at least $1.5 billion out of the NYPD’s $11 billion total yearly expenditure each year during their term, for a total of $3 billion. By eliminating funding for the Strategic Response Group, the Vice Squad and surveillance, gang database, and predictive policing technologies; cutting overtime and instituting a hiring freeze; and removing police from schools, traffic enforcement, public transit, homeless outreach, and mental health response, we can reallocate $1.5 billion from the 2022 budget. By reducing overall officer headcount, we could reallocate $1.5 billion more by 2023.

To support efforts to reinvest those funds in non-punitive public safety programs and social services, such as community-based violence prevention and intervention programs; non-police crisis response teams; school-based counselors and support staff; transformative and restorative justice programs; low- and no-cost health services, including substance use treatment programs and non-coercive mental health care; paths to stable and dignified housing; and employment programs, including a transition plan for officers.

To demand an immediate hiring freeze for the NYPD. Undoing the power of policing in our city begins with reducing the number of officers in our communities.

The city's answer to crises of all kinds has been to add more police: new specialized units, intensified presence in neighborhoods, and additional officers in subways, schools, and housing. The funds required for the training and salaries of new officers would be better spent on services and programs that promote community safety and stability.

To support the permanent closure of the Rikers Island jail complex and stand against the construction of new borough-based jails. Rather than continuing to sink money into the Department of Corrections, we should divest from carceral solutions and invest in a clear plan for decarceration, release, and rehabilitation.