HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-26-20 Public Comment - O. Rothe - Support for black livesFrom:Olivia
Subject:In solidarity with Black and Brown folx of Bozeman, a call to tangible action on your parts
Date:Friday, June 26, 2020 1:44:52 AM
To the Bozeman City Commission,
My name is Olivia Rothe and I am a resident of Bozeman. I am writing to demand that the City Commission adoptsa budget that prioritizes community well-being and redirects funding away from the police.
Many Montanans may be tempted to think the unique nature of such a vast, yet sparsely-populated state minimizesthe likelihood of police brutality in our small city communities. However, as reported by the Billings Gazette lastyear, Montana ranked ninth in killings by police per capita. In 2017, the Great Falls Tribune reported Montanapolice killings reached a total higher than the previous six years. These figures are alarming, but don’t tell the fullstory. Under Montana Code § 2-6-102 and Article II, Section 10 of the Montana Constitution, police disciplinaryrecords are exempt from disclosure if there is an “individual privacy interest that clearly exceeds the merits of publicdisclosure.” Montana police forces operate within a culture of impunity, and as the members of the communitiesthey are supposed to be protecting, 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 and suggestionsof “reform” are inadequate and unacceptable. I am demanding that real change be made to the way this city allocatesits resources.
Support for communities in need is necessary now, more than ever. I am demanding that the City Commissionmeaningfully defund the Bozeman Police Department. I join the calls of those across the country to defund thepolice. I am demanding a budget that adequately and effectively meets the needs of at-risk Bozeman residentsduring this trying and uncertain time. I am demanding a budget that supports community wellbeing, rather thanempowering the police forces that tear them apart.
As the City Commission, the budget proposal is in your hands. It is your duty to represent your constituents. I amurging you to completely revise the budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, and to fund the social programs proven tobe more effective than policing at promoting community safety and equity. Have the courage to be a leader of thechange this city, state, and country desperately needs.
Thank you for your time,
Olivia Rothe
307 North 16th AvenueBozeman, MT 59715
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