We are a group within APTP. Our goal is to defund Oakland's Police budget by 50% & invest that money in community, one of the many steps towards abolition.
Schaaf’s proposed budget for FY2021-23 makes significant increases to the police budget, ignoring both the demands of the People of Oakland to DefundOPD and invest in community, and the legislation passed by the Council which created the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force.
BREAKING: The Oakland City Council just voted to reallocate $18M from Oakland Police to violence prevention programs and mental health services.
Today we changed the course of direction for our city.
Here's our statement...
The City Council meeting about the Oakland budget is starting in a few minutes.
This is the most imp meeting of the year.
Call in and tell the Council Members you reject @lorenmtaylor's "compromise". The "compromise" means giving even more resources to the police.
I'll also be live reporting from the council's budget meeting. It looks they will pass a budget today, but keep in mind, there is still a Special "just in case" Meeting that was scheduled several weeks ago for June 29, and that razor's edge decision would not be a first
The OPD's $7.5 MM ask from CIP budget for a "violence prevention office" disappeared after pushback last month. But now it's back under a much more humble name, for $5 MM. Was slid back into the budget last week, quietly.
It's very late, but here's my preview of what you can expect at City Council's budget deliberations tomorrow. It may be especially helpful if you can't attend tomorrow's 10:30 am meeting. https://t.co/udRFGGOde1
DIVEST FROM OPD, FUND THE PEOPLE!!
Hundreds of people turned out tonight to the People’s Budget Block Party and Mutual Aid Fair on the eve of what could be a historic Oakland City Council vote. #DefundOPD#WeKeepUsSafe#MutualAid#PeoplesBudgetBlockParty
We must use COVID relief dollars to give Oaklanders relief, not train new cops!! Tell city council to reject the @LorenMTaylor amendment to fund a new police academy with our relief money — & to keep their promise to reimagine safety! https://t.co/XYYlcgFevk @DanKalb@NoelGallo5
Even the Oakland Police Chief, LaRonne Armstrong, admits that the current approach to policing does not work, no matter how much money we waste on cops.
Maybe he should tell Libby and Loren that more cops won't keep us safe?
Taylor should explain how he expects to pay for academies w/ARPA funds. The only permissible use for ARPA is when it bridges Covid-reduced revenue to cover spending. Deliberately increasing spending with intention of using ARPA to cover seems a bad faith interpretation at least
Councilmember Loren Taylor is proposing to use $4 million of COVID-19 relief dollars to fund an additional cop academy. He wants to use funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to pay and train an additional 32 new cops. #defundopd#refundoakland
The change is also in the City's recently published budget errata. The money was already allocated from KK for OPD, but it appears that the City is looking for way to refer to the expenditure in a way that doesn't make people's stomach turn...and may have not yet found it
Last month, I reported City had removed a $7.5 MM Capital Improvements budget request to create a "violence prevention" office at court bldg adjacent to Police HQ [PAB]. But it's back in latest revision, slightly cheaper aka "OPD Improvements to County Side of PAB"
Instead of allocating more funds to Housing or Human Services, Schaaf wants to 📈 overtime for OPD’s homelessness unit to $1.5 MILLION for 2021-23.
Rather than serving Oakland’s unhoused residents, Schaaf trashes their stuff and pays OPD huge salaries to guard garbage trucks.
Rather than serving Oakland’s unhoused residents, Schaaf trashes their belongings and pays OPD exorbitant salaries to guard garbage trucks. Pictured are 6 officers guarding a garbage truck at an eviction at 35th and Peralta in February 2020.