On June 15, Rochester City Council will vote on a new city budget. The current Rochester Police budget is more than $90 million a year — millions of dollars that have been used to overpolice and terrorize Black communities.
Unless we demand action now, the Rochester Police Department will continue to threaten Black lives. Rochester's City Council must take action BY JUNE 15 to:
- Reduce the RPD budget and headcount by cutting vacant positions, canceling the new recruit class, and allowing for the positions of retiring officers to go unfilled.
- Cut the RPD budget by 50% over the next 4 years— and invests in resources that actually keep us safe.
- Fully-fund crisis intervention, violence prevention, and mental health responder programs to handle calls involving family disputes, children, substance abuse, and mental health emergencies.
- Fully-fund the Police Accountability Board
- Immediately divest from violent policing and invest in programs to re-imagine public safety and protect Black lives including youth job programs, affordable housing, mental health, education.
Join Color Of Change + Free The People Rochester. Call Rochester's Mayor and City Council members to demand a budget that divests from RPD and invests in Black people in Rochester now.
