Local politicians sign pledge to reduce police brutality, invest in black and brown communities
Jun 18, 2020, 3:40 PM
Black Lives Matter protesters rally at Westlake Park before marching through the downtown area on June 14, 2020 in Seattle, United States. Black Lives Matter events continue daily in the Seattle area in the wake of the death of George Floyd. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)
(Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)
Seattle City Council President Lorena González, King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay, and Spokane City Councilmember Kate Burke are asking elected leaders across Washington state to pledge to reduce police brutality, and use city budgets to reinvest in black and brown communities.
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The reinvestment would address issues of housing displacement, economic insecurity, education, and health.
“The streets of our cities and towns are screaming with demands for bold change that will disrupt the status quo and address the impacts of racism on Black and Brown communities,” González said. “Our peers across the state have a chance to join us in this call to action to reimagine public safety and to use our positional power, as policymakers and budget decision makers, to dismantle racism in law enforcement and rebuild our public safety and justice systems.”
The pledge also includes a reduction in police brutality, excessive force, and racial profiling against marginalized communities. It asks elected officials to advocate for systemic and structural changes in government programs and service programs designed, led, and overseen by the people they serve.
“Our nation has spoken and we want transformational change. Elected officials should use this momentum to advance and prioritize new systems of public safety, justice, health, and well-being that prioritize the communities who have been harmed by the status quo,” Zahilay said.
“Asking armed agents of the state to address everything from traffic violations to abductions is no longer feasible. It is time to move beyond this narrow conception of public safety, one where a single department is tasked with relocating our homeless neighbors, disciplining our children, and responding to calls from individuals struggling with mental health,” Burke said. “We write the laws, approve the budgets, and sign off on the contracts that have led to and perpetuate these problems. We have the data, we know shared prosperity is the best crime prevention.”
