HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-26-20 Public Comment - R. Copeland - Defund the policeFrom:Ryleigh Copeland
Subject:Defund the police and fund the community
Date:Friday, June 26, 2020 12:12:33 PM
To the Bozeman City Commission,My name is Ryleigh Copeland and I am a resident of Big Sky. I am writing to demand that the
City Commission adopts a budget that prioritizes community well-being and redirects fundingaway from the police. Many Montanans may be tempted to think the unique nature of such a
vast, yet sparsely-populated state minimizes the likelihood of police brutality in our small citycommunities. However, as reported by the Billings Gazette last year, Montana ranked ninth in
killings by police per capita. In 2017, the Great Falls Tribune reported Montana police killingsreached a total higher than the previous six years. These figures are alarming, but don’t tell the
full story. Under Montana Code § 2-6-102 and Article II, Section 10 of the MontanaConstitution, 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 be protecting, we can’t even begin to grasp the scope of their violence. We are inthe midst of widespread upheaval over the systemic violence of policing. Empty gestures and
suggestions of “reform” are inadequate and unacceptable. I am demanding that real change bemade to the way this city allocates its resources. Support for communities in need is necessary
now, more than ever. I am demanding that the City Commission meaningfully defund theBozeman Police Department. I join the calls of those across the country to defund the police. I
am demanding a budget that adequately and effectively meets the needs of at-risk Bozemanresidents during this trying and uncertain time. I am demanding a budget that supports
community wellbeing, rather than empowering the police forces that tear them apart. As theCity Commission, the budget proposal is in your hands. It is your duty to represent your
constituents. I am urging you to completely revise the budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year,and to fund the social programs proven to be more effective than policing at promoting
community safety and equity. Have the courage to be a leader of the change this city, state,and country desperately needs. Thank you for your time, Ryleigh Copeland, P.O. Box 160897,
810-458-3453, ryleigh.copeland@gmail.com