New York May Cut $1B From NYPD?

It appears that defunding the NYPD is going to happen, but is it enough to make an impact? Read on…

CelebnPolitics247.com has the latest from Politico who is reporting that the national movement to defund the police seemed to score its biggest victory yet over the weekend.

New York has made a tentative deal to shift $1 billion away from the NYPD.

Here is what we’ve learned:

The agreement to cut a sixth of the budget of the nation’s largest police force would have been unthinkable even several weeks ago, when it became clear the economic crisis sparked by the coronavirus pandemic would force huge reductions to city spending. That the city’s Democratic establishment quickly coalesced around such a proposal is a testament to how much the mass protests against police brutality have changed the political dynamic in the city and across the country.
But for those pushing for the cuts, it’s not enough — not even close.

Anthonine Pierre, a spokesperson for Communities United for Police Reform, an umbrella criminal justice organization that has been a leading voice in the defund push in New York says, “This is a lie!”

She accused Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson of “using funny math and budget tricks to try to mislead New Yorkers into thinking that they plan to meet the movement’s demands for at least $1B in direct cuts.”

Vocal-NY, which spearheaded an Occupy Wall Street-style protest camp that has taken over the area near City Hall for the past week, called the deal a “betrayal.”

De Blasio and the City Council are now caught between the growing electoral power of progressive groups, the demands of protesters on the streets, Black and Hispanic legislators urging a more cautious approach, and virulent opposition from police unions. The outcome serves as one of the highest-profile examples to date of how challenging an issue the defund movement can be for politicians to navigate.

Vocal-NY, in a statement, said police should be removed from any role in homeless services, schools, youth programs, overdose response, mental health issues, and other social services, and the budget dollars they use should be redirected to social service programs.

“The deal as described does nothing close, preserving police resources and power — with not a single layoff among NYPD’s uniformed cops,” the group said.