Tell the Police Commission to #DefundOPD!
Community,
OPD takes almost HALF of Oakland's general fund each year — consuming desperately needed resources from housing, parks, libraries and other vital services.
The investment in policing has not made us safer. OPD remains an embarrassment to the city and a lethal threat to Oakland’s Black and Brown communities.
It’s time we tore up the blank check! Council must divest The People’s Money from the violent, racist and corrupt Oakland Police Department, and reinvest in the relief and resilience of The Town’s Black and Brown communities.
Take action tomorrow (Thursday, June 18) to keep the pressure on to #DefundOPD and move us closer to abolishing the police:
What: Speak out at the Oakland Police Commission meeting
When: June 18, 2020 at 6:30pm
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83552418318
Dial-in info: (669)900-9128, Webinar ID: 835 5241 8318
*Use the "raise hand" function to speak.
Talking points about Defunding OPD and MACRO are below.
Thanks again for powering this movement.
All power to the people,
APTP
Sample Talking Points:
We demand that Oakland City Council DEFUND OPD and REINVEST in community by:
Defunding the Oakland Police Department by at least 50%
Investing the money from defunding OPD into passing the full Black New Deal
Stopping the use of violence of any kind against protestors
Cutting the contract with the California Highway Patrol — who brutally murdered Erik Salgado in East Oakland a week ago — and removing them from Oakland
We can best keep our community safe by using The People’s Money to create living wage jobs, housing for all, youth programs, health care, restorative justice and other essential community services.
Some of these monies from the OPD budget could be used to fund the MACRO model, which could mirror successful programs like MH First in Sacramento - a program which functions independently of law enforcement and was developed by and for impacted communities.