SANTA MONICA — On Tuesday, June 9, the Santa Monica City Council voted to reallocate police department funds to the city’s crime prevention programs and youth programs.
On May 31, a protest was held in Santa Monica in response to George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Floyd passed away after Derek Chauvin, a former police officer for the Minneapolis Police Department, kneeled on his neck, according to a video.
After the protest was held in downtown Santa Monica, many condemned the way that the police department handled the scene. It was reported that the police department used rubber bullets and tear gas.
According to a petition started by the city to fire Chief Cynthia Renaud, police were not focusing on the looters and vandalism of the city. As of today, 61,774 people have signed this petition.
According to reports, a great deal of community members came to the city council meeting to express concerns. Community members wanted the council to vote on reallocating money from the police department to help fund with different social programs in the city.
City staff members are asked to present a plan on June 29 to describe how to reallocate funds from the police department’s budget. Reports show that the reallocation would encompass 30% of the $348.2 million discretionary budget.
Upon voting on the reallocation of funds, the council voted on the Obama Pledge. This comes from a conversation that former President Barack Obama had last week where he encouraged police departments across the country to sit down and form policies with the help of residents.
