Posted on 08/07/2020 2:10:23 AM PDT by Libloather
Seattle City Councilmembers on Thursday shot back at criticism from city officials that their proposals to cut funding from the Seattle Police Department were "irresponsible" and "reckless."
During a meeting Thursday, members of the council talked about their plans to slash funding to SPD in response to months of calls from thousands of residents to defund the department and reinvest in the community. The council's discussion came after a news conference earlier this week where Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best called the proposals "unattainable and unworkable."
"It is unfortunate that we are faced with the reality that we have an executive [Durkan] who insist on sowing seeds of fear and misinformation, further dividing our community in a time of unprecedented crisis all the while calling for unity," Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez said.
On Wednesday, the council's Budget Committee voted on a series of amendments that included cuts to Harbor Patrol, mounted officer units and eliminate the Navigation Team, which includes police personnel and is responsible for conducting outreach and sweeping homeless encampments. The Navigation Team has faced criticism for years, and especially over the past few months, as it has continued to sweep encampments during the coronavirus pandemic despite guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that advise against it.
Durkan earlier this week called into question the council's proposals, saying the councilmembers were "looking in the right places [to cut the budget] but in the wrong year."
**SNIP**
One major point of contention between Durkan, Best and the council revolves around department layoffs. The amendments passed by the council seek to layoff 32 officers by November, a move that Durkan and Best said will eliminate diverse officers from the force.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Who cares anymore?
Businesses will go to conservative states and bring lots of jobs.
I’m six miles from Manhattan by water and I don’t care what happens there.
Let em all burn .
Pretty much true.
Retirees will look at destabilized neighborhoods and lack of public safety....then bail.
Small business owners will look at public safety and taxation, asking questions but getting no responses from city councils or state representatives. So they bail.
Parents look at safety factors in the schools, realizing no one is protecting the school or the kids, so they bail.
That’s the point where the ‘Detroit-syndrome’ starts up and you can’t fund anything....not the police, not the library, not sanitation services, or even city parks.
How to turn your town into a shithole in a few easy steps.
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Its been a shit hole for yearsm now they are going for a Mogadishu slum
Exactly right.
If you don’t feel safe in a city or you don’t think the government has you interest in mind or is working against your interest you are going to get out of a city if you can.
All of the signs were there, insanely Leftist government, pushes for a “Living” minimum wage, Sanctuary City, and permitting the homeless the run of the city.
There were signs over top of signs that anyone with sense couldn’t miss. But leaving your home, friends and family is hard.
Yes do it, please Seattle destroy your once great city to show the rest of the country why Defunding the police is suicide.
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