DEFUND TEMPE PD SCRIPT

Tempe, AZ residents, send/call with the script below to the following:

Script:

Dear City Council Members,

My name is [NAME] and I’m a resident of Tempe, AZ [ZIPCODE]. I am writing to express my concern and outrage about the 20-21 budget adoption.  I urge you, as my council member, to reduce the Tempe Police Department budget and reallocate funds to departments that truly serve our Tempe community.

The Tempe police have demonstrated a clear history of abuse among Tempe residents. Your council heard first-hand accounts of their brutality and misconduct during the June 11th public council meeting. And there are other public examples that demonstrate Tempe Police misconduct: showing up with rifles for an adolescent mental health crisis, and brutality with a young Black man and his family after a car accident. And let’s not forget Tempe PD’s killing of 14-year old Antonio Arce last June; the officer had a history of excessive force, was acquitted (Antonio was unarmed) and given full retirement benefits. Tempe Police Chief, Sylvia Moir has demonstrated that she is out of touch with our community and unwilling to consider meaningful reform.

Tempe Police Department and the 20-21 budget allocates 98 million to Tempe PD (nearly 50% of the general funds budget). This is 3 times the amount allocated to Community Services, 6 times the amount allocated to Community Development, 8 times the amount allocated to Human Services, 90 times the amount allocated to Strategic Management and Diversity and 580 times (yes, that’s correct) the amount allocated to Sustainability. And, in the budget readjustments, Tempe PD’s budget is the least impacted (Community Services budget, which is a quarter of the PD budget, is cut by 7% whereas PD is cut by less than 5%). This seems outrageous for a city who values sustainable growth and development, quality of life, and strong community connections and is incompatible with the Tempe City Council Strategic priorities (i.e., performance measures 1.19, 1.29, 1.33, 2.21, 3.08, 3.09, 3.12, 3.16, 3.26, 3.28).

During the June 11th City Council meeting, you expressed some hesitancy in reallocating funds, describing that we must be thoughtful if we do shift funds away from the police. As your constituent, I am calling on you to do the work—to reallocate funds from Tempe PD and be thoughtful and strategic about where these funds can be used. This is your job and I have full confidence that you, and your other council members can rise to the occasion.

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR TEMPE ZIP CODE]