Write to the Asheville City Government Council before June 9th to demand cuts to Asheville Police Department‘s $29.6 million budget and a NO on the $400,000 increase APD is requesting:

esthermanheimer@avlcouncil.com, gwenwisler@avlcouncil.com, brianhaynes@avlcouncil.com, vijaykapoor@avlcouncil.com, juliemayfield@avlcouncil.com, sheneikasmith@avlcouncil.com, keithyoung@avlcouncil.com,

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear City Council,

I writing to advocate for a reduction of APD’s $29.6 million budget, with no additional additional funding allocated to the APD in the 2020-2021 budget.

[Share a little about who you are. How long have you lived in Asheville? Where do you live? Where do you work?]

Despite years of community advocacy following instances of police brutality, extensive deescalation training, and an overhaul of APD leadership, racial disparities in policing persist in this community. In the context of nationwide protests bringing attention to the violent and deadly consequences of policing on Black communities, APD chose to meet protestors with tear gas. This approach comes after a public overhaul of use of force policies.

This does not ensure public trust, and in fact, it demonstrates a profound disregard for human life. We cannot continue to invest in this department.

[Do you have ideas about how police funding should be reallocated? Share them here.]

Sincerely,

Your Name

Thank you Heather Laine Talley for this call to action