From the link below:

Following the death of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement officers last spring, protests erupted across the country. Many of those protests then turned to riots and clashes with law enforcement. A rallying cry often heard during this was to “defund the police." The city of Asheville was listening.

“I know when a lot of people hear defund the police, that scares them,” Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer says. “That makes them feel like they are going to be unsafe, and their community is going to be unsafe, and that is not the goal. The goal here is really to try to look at a better way to try to provide this service to the community."

Asheville created a 30/60/90 plan aimed at working toward social justice and racial equity.

In the 60 day timeframe, discussions were to begin on defunding the police by 50%. Those talks did happen, but at a smaller scale. The budget the city approved for next year reduces police funding by just 3%.

Following the death of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement officers last spring, protests erupted across the country. Many of those protests then turned to riots and clashes with law enforcement. A rallying cry often heard during this was to “defund the police." The city of Asheville was listening.

“I know when a lot of people hear defund the police, that scares them,” Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer says. “That makes them feel like they are going to be unsafe, and their community is going to be unsafe, and that is not the goal. The goal here is really to try to look at a better way to try to provide this service to the community."

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Also, "Asheville ‘defund police' vote: City reallocates $770,000 from APD budget"

https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2020/09/22/defunding-police-asheville-cuts-department-budget-3/5865674002/

ASHEVILLE - City Council has approved a $29.3 million police budget, representing a 3% decrease that is unlikely to satisfy activists who have called for slashing the department's funding in half.

The amount was proposed by City Manager Debra Campbell and approved in a 5-2 vote during a four and a half hour meeting Sept. 22, with council members Sheneika Smith and Brian Haynes opposing the measure.

"With the stated goal of seriously addressing Black Asheville Demands of divesting from the police and investing in Black communities, these proposed cuts fall way short," said Haynes, who added that this is still a net increase of $4.1 million in the Asheville Police Department budget over five years.

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Also, "Asheville proposed police budget for 2022 has key changes; money stays the same at $30 million"

https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/2021/06/01/asheville-proposed-police-budget-2022-has-key-changes-money-stays-30-million/7440090002/

[Post edited by Hoo TV at 07/01/2022 8:11PM]