Richmond, VA _ Richmond Councilman Michael Jones has joined some other local leaders around the country in calling for the defunding of the city's police department. Jones issued the following statement:
"Over the last two weeks, it has become clearer than ever that trends in public safety funding need to be re-examined. A government's budget will show its priorities. We should not be surprised or shocked at the para-military state of our police force based on the amount of funding allocated to them each year. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is senseless."
"We need to have an honest and transparent discussion about the amount of funding allocated to our police department. Public trust in the Richmond Police Department and in the City of Richmond's government was severely damaged last week. I am calling for a deep dive into the Richmond Police Department's budget with the intention of defunding police. Funding must be reallocated to communities that have been disproportionately impacted by over-policing and a continued lack of resources. We must re-invest in Black people, Black organizations, Black creatives, and Black businesses in our city. This discussion can not wait any longer. Lives - Black lives - depend on it."