|
Dear friend, you’ve taken action to demand justice for Daniel Prude and accountability in Rochester. And whether you’ve been following this story for a year or just joined the fight, we wanted to take a moment to remember Daniel’s life and share an important campaign update with you :
Since video footage of Prude’s murder was released last year, Color Of Change members like you have been calling on Rochester officials to take bold action to protect Black lives.
Yesterday, Rochester City Council approved their “police reform” plan.1 The proposal calls for :
- Reducing the Rochester Police Department (RPD) budget over the next three years.
- Increased funding for alternative first responder programs to replace or supplement police with social workers and other non-police personnel.
- Reducing the number of RPD officers because Rochester has more police officers than most cities of similar size.
- New policy to limit the use of spit socks — the “hood” RPD put over Daniel Prude’s head before throwing him to the ground.
Dear friend, the police reform proposal is not a perfect roadmap to get Rochester where it needs to go. It’s not everything Color Of Change and Rochester activists demanded — or even the “fundamental change” the Police Accountability Board recommended.2 But the plan includes commitments to many of the demands we’ve amplified since September.3
For the first time, we have Rochester City Council ON THE RECORD, making a clear commitment to decrease funding for Rochester Police and increase support for alternatives to policing.
Right now, the city’s police reform plan is a non-binding resolution. It also doesn't include specifics on how much money will be reallocated from Rochester Police to alternative first responder programs. That means it’s up to us to make sure Rochester officials back up their promises with ACTION.
The city’s budget is another opportunity to go further and demand Rochester officials put money where their mouth is. We have to keep fighting until the commitments they’ve made — to divest from RPD and invest in alternatives to police — become real.
Click to tweet: Commemorate Daniel Prude’s life and continue to demand accountability now.
Rochester City Council has put forward a framework to begin re-imagining public safety — but only because activists organized protests, made thousands of phone calls, and raised our voices to demand change for months. Now, we have to hold them to it.
Until justice is real,
Scott, Erika, Rashad, Arisha, Malachi, Megan, Ernie, Palika, Ariel, Madison, Trevor, Ana, McKayla and the Color Of Change team.
References :
1. Rochester City Council approves police reform plan to end union contract, reduce budget. Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 30 March 2021.
2. 'Our community must be heard': PAB offers recommendations for future of policing reform plan. Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 23 December 2020.
3. PETITION: Demand Justice For Daniel Prude. Color Of Change, September 2020.
ColorOfChange is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire