12/14/2021
Residents and impacted community members joined family and friends of Breonna Taylor, Shelby Gazaway, D'Juantez Mitchell, De'MonJhea Jordan, Corey Boykin and others, in the streets protesting against the corruption of LMPD.
But from the top leadership of this city, we've seen nothing but pandering to law enforcement.
From our top leadership, we’ve seen unprecedented support not only for LMPD, but the FOP and the LMPD Foundation, at a time when traditionally oppressed populations are naming that law enforcement does not keep them safe.
More police won’t make Louisville safer or healthier. In the midst of this escalating COVID crisis, LMPD funnels residents into jail where COVID guidelines are ignored and three people just died in custody.
LMPD already costs $129,000 per position, compared to $59,000 per position in Public Health, or in other relevant and helpful jobs within city government agencies.
But LMPD is not a city agency. It's a contractual organization with a history of pushing city government to support its agenda for the sake of safety.
But safety is not what LMPD does though. We all recall how LMPD has raped women and children, protected corrupt internal leaders, and worked with corrupt Judicial and Corrections Department leadership.
The police do not need more incentives to do more of what they do.
Councilmembers David James and Markus Winkler want to incentivize an already militarized and violent police force. They have supported officers and law enforcement leadership through despicable, tragic scandals and other expensive questionable priorities over the last 15 years.
We've watched Metro Council leadership dismiss the pleas of community organizations to divest from LMPD. Instead they have argued for even more support for LMPD to do more of what it does, taking on slogan after slogan, all to not live up to being even a bit about compassion.
Compassion and equity aren't options- they're real concepts that benefit all of us when put in practice.
Metro Council should focus on this: divest from LMPD. Metro Council, invest in the public health departments that will be proactive in addressing root causes that harm the health and safety of all Louisville’s residents.
Invest in Metro Parks and to bring innovative programming and upkeep to West End parks.
Invest in the Office of Resilience, starting with new leadership, and provide collective and wholesome practices for us all. And not just because we’re poor.
Our housing crisis is 7 YEARS LONG (and more)! Our housing crisis costs families not only their households but also their lives! Invest in the Office of Housing.
Healthy food options for West End residents have been intentionally eliminated. Invest to ELIMINATE West End food apartheid.
We demand investments in the education, health and safety of Black people. Divest from LMPD!