Wed., September 13
5:30 PM
City-County Building
Public Assembly Room, 2nd Floor
Join PSL Indianapolis at the City-County Building as the Public “Safety” and Criminal “Justice” Committee considers Mayor Hogsett’s proposed 2024 budget that would give the IMPD the highest amount ever: $324 million, which is an increase of 3.4%! Tell your City-County Councilors that the people demand no money for the IMPD!
We know for a fact that more money for cops does not equal more safety for our community; if that was the case, our city would be the safest it’s ever been! Every year we give more and more money to IMPD, but we get nothing but brutality in return while the real ways to increase public safety go unaddressed: homelessness increases, unaffordable housing and slumlords, food deserts, and the lack of access to healthcare, recreation, and education, among others.
We can’t forget that it was IMPD who murdered Dreasjon Reed, Ashlynn Lisby, and McHale Rose. During the 2020 uprisings it was IMPD who escalated violence in the streets, not the people. It was IMPD who stomped on the face of Jermaine Vaughn and who continues to harass countless other citizens for simply trying to exist on the streets. It was IMPD that broke into the home of Herman Whitfield III and murdered him in front of his own parents.
In the past months, more than two people have died at the hands of IMPD: an unidentified cyclist who was hit and killed by a negligent officer, and Gary Harrell who was shot in the back while running for his life. Hogsett has the audacity to say that they deserve more money and increase public safety? In reality, they decrease our safety and terrorize and brutalize us!
The people of Indianapolis deserve a budget that reflects our needs, and we deserve a right to decide where that money goes. We need infrastructure, affordable housing, public transportation and much more, not a bigger police force! If you’re angry about this undemocratic and unnecessary budget proposal, join us and speak out!
