Mayor Arreguin Proposes Reallocation of Police Department Budget
June 29, 2020
In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, Berkeley residents have demanded change and city leaders are responding by taking steps to safely defund the police
BERKELEY – Today, Mayor Jesse Arreguín introduced his budget amendments for fiscal year 2020/2021. The budget includes an initial cut of $9,251,458 to the Berkeley Police Department, or 12 percent of the agency’s annual operating budget. The City Council will also vote to initiate a process that would lead to a larger, broader shift of resources away from police and towards a holistic community-centered approach to community health and safety.
“For too long we’ve asked public safety professionals to respond to our public health crisis,” said Mayor Jesse Arreguín. “A disproportionate number of calls to 911 involve persons suffering from mental illness, and a disproportionate number of police shootings involve individuals in crisis. We can enhance the livability of our community at a fraction of the cost by ending our punitive police response to quality of life crimes, and instead identifying the root cause and treating it. For decades we’ve been trying to force a square peg into a round hole, and it has not worked because police are simply not equipped to respond to this population.”
The City of Berkeley has already taken action to reform police use of force. Additionally, on July 14 the Council will vote to:
Shift police responsibilities away from the department, such as homeless outreach and services, substance abuse, and mental health/crisis management, traffic and parking enforcement, neighborhood services and code enforcement.
Initiate and facilitate a Community Safety Coalition (“CSC”) and Steering Committee that will help realize a transformation of the current system of public safety.
Limit militarized weaponry and equipment.
Publicly track progress on these initiatives on a dedicated page on the City website in the interest of transparency and accountability.
Many of society’s most intractable problems–homelessness, mental illness and substance abuse–can be addressed more effectively, more economically and more safely by public health professionals. That will also enable the City of Berkeley to focus police resources on crimes in progress and crimes of violence.
“I believe that the key to community safety is community health and wellness,” said Mayor Arreguín. “That requires heavy investments in our community, and reduced investments in police. Whether it’s in the streets, at City Hall or in the Capitol, I eagerly welcome protestors and police alike to join me in advocating for reforms that are in the interests of our entire community.”