HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-09-20 Public Comment - V. Laney - Defund Bozeman PDFrom:Virginia McQueen Laney
To:Agenda
Subject:Defund Bozeman PD
Date:Tuesday, June 9, 2020 10:16:22 AM
To the Bozeman City Commission,
My name is Virginia Laney and I am a resident of Bozeman, MT. I am writing to demandthat the City Commission adopts a budget that prioritizes community well-being, mentalhealth initiatives and redirects funding away from the police.
Many Montanans may be tempted to think the unique nature of such a vast, yet sparsely-populatedstate minimizes the likelihood of police brutality in our small city communities. However, as reported bythe Billings Gazette last year, Montana ranked ninth in killings by police per capita. In 2017, the GreatFalls Tribune reported Montana police killings reached a total higher than the previous six years. Thesefigures are alarming, but don’t tell the full story. Under Montana Code § 2-6-102 and Article II, Section10 of the Montana Constitution, police disciplinary records are exempt from disclosure if there is an“individual privacy interest that clearly exceeds the merits of public disclosure.” Montana police forcesoperate within a culture of impunity, and as the members of the communities they are supposed to beprotecting, we can’t even begin to grasp the scope of their violence.
We are in the midst of widespread upheaval over the systemic violence of policing. Empty gestures andsuggestions of “reform” are inadequate and unacceptable. I am demanding that real change be madeto the way this city allocates its resources.
Support for communities in need is necessary now, more than ever. I am demanding that the CityCommission meaningfully defund the Bozeman Police Department. I join the calls of those across thecountry to defund the police. I am demanding a budget that adequately and effectively meets theneeds of at-risk Bozeman residents during this trying and uncertain time. I am demanding a budget thatsupports community wellbeing, rather than empowering the police forces that tear them apart.
As the City Commission, the budget proposal is in your hands. It is your duty to representyour constituents. I am urging you to completely revise the budget for the 2020-2021 fiscalyear, and to fund the social programs proven to be more effective than policing atpromoting community safety and equity. Have the courage to be a leader of the changeBozeman, our great state of Montana, and country desperately needs.
Thank you for your time,
Virginia LaneyBozeman, MT 59715virginiamcqueen@gmail.com406-304-7456
-- Virginia McQueen Laney LCPC, NCC