As nationwide calls for defunding police departments increase after the death of George Floyd, Boston councilors say constituents are supporting the idea and they’re looking at changing how the city spends its money.
Since Floyd died after Minneapolis police knelt on his neck last month, defunding police has received increasing support. Hundreds of constituents weighed in on the issue during a virtual budget discussion on Tuesday, demanding councilors cut spending to the police department.
“There’s a lot of talk around defunding,” said At-Large Councilor Julia Mejia. “I think we have an opportunity to educate the public that it’s not so much about shutting down the police department, but really about how do we use these dollars and allocate to different programs.”
District 4 Councilor Andrea Campbell said the police department needs reform, but that other issues like transparency need to be considered.
“Every one of us agree the system needs reform. No one left that conversation that the police system as it exists in Boston is OK. It is not,” Campbell said. “We need to transform our police department to one that is transparent and held accountable for wrongdoing and where our public safety agencies including leadership are reflective of the city they serve and is not overwhelming white and male as they are today.”
Boston police Sgt. Paul Joseph, who has been with the department since 1989, said it has had racist issues and that having minorities in high-ranking positions is important.
“Back in the day, minority black police officers were treated like we were on a plantation with white bosses telling black officers to arrest mostly poor, disadvantaged black people,” Joseph said.
Mayor Marty Walsh is expected to present a new budget proposal by the end of the month.
“Mayor Walsh has made it an absolute priority to build a more diverse police department that is reflective of the community they serve … committed to continuing this work as we move forward, especially as we engage in a much broader conversation about policing in the city and nationwide,” Walsh’s office said in a statement.