Invest in Community Safety for Santa Barbara County. Reduce SB Sheriff's Budget by $26.7 M
The Issue
On Tuesday, April 6th, 2021, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis. The County’s public safety budget must reflect this resolution and its accompanying commitment to create changes that directly address systemic racism and its harmful outcomes..
$165M. That is the current annual budget for the SB County Sheriff's Office. Currently, the SB Sheriff's budget is greater than the average of 8 comparable counties in California.
Police budgets destabilize communities. Reducing the budgets of the police and investing that money into programs that heal, care, & serve community wellness is what public safety really looks like.
As a coalition of community-based organizations and individuals, we are calling on the Board of Supervisors to reduce the Sheriff’s Office funding by a minimum of $26.7million and 165 FTE’s (Full-time Equivalents: 40hr/week employees = 1 FTE) this year in order to: (1) support a consistent decline of the average daily jail population. (2) bring their office’s budget in line with or below comparable counties and (3) invest in community-based organizations and initiatives that center the actual needs and experiences of those most impacted by the criminal legal system.
*Note: The funding decrease is just under 17% ($165M total budget last year) and simply puts our spending on par with other similar-sized counties.
Budgets are value statements. Sign this petition to let the Board of Supervisors know your values as we reimagine public safety. More policing, incarceration, and massive law enforcement budgets don't make us safe. We have an opportunity to address the source of this harm and it starts with making impactful investments in our county, especially in communities of color, instead of continuing inhumane and inequitable systems. It is time for the county to move away from trauma and towards healing.
June 8 and 10 are the budget hearings:
1) Sign the petition
2) Share the petition on your social media
3) Text or email 10 friends and ask them to sign the petition
4) Email the Board of Supervisors, here are some talking points
5) Make a public comment on June 8/10
In Solidarity,
Healing Justice SB
Santa Maria Lompoc NAACP
El Centro SB
CAUSE
Future Leaders of America
Fund for Santa Barbara
Freedom 4 Youth
People's Justice Project
SURJ SB
Jewish Voice for Peace SB
SB Young Democrats
Association of Raza Educators, SB
Just Communities
Santa Barbara DSA
SB CAN
Santa Maria Valley Young Democrats
UCSB Campus Democrats
Bonfire Collective
Food Not Bombs Isla Vista
Vietnam Vets Against War SB
UCSB4COLA
United Corazon
Love Your Inmate
Santa Barbara Response Network
SURJ Santa Maria
Ethnic Studies Now! Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Healthcare Workers for Racial Justice
League of Women Voters SB
The Issue
On Tuesday, April 6th, 2021, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis. The County’s public safety budget must reflect this resolution and its accompanying commitment to create changes that directly address systemic racism and its harmful outcomes..
$165M. That is the current annual budget for the SB County Sheriff's Office. Currently, the SB Sheriff's budget is greater than the average of 8 comparable counties in California.
Police budgets destabilize communities. Reducing the budgets of the police and investing that money into programs that heal, care, & serve community wellness is what public safety really looks like.
As a coalition of community-based organizations and individuals, we are calling on the Board of Supervisors to reduce the Sheriff’s Office funding by a minimum of $26.7million and 165 FTE’s (Full-time Equivalents: 40hr/week employees = 1 FTE) this year in order to: (1) support a consistent decline of the average daily jail population. (2) bring their office’s budget in line with or below comparable counties and (3) invest in community-based organizations and initiatives that center the actual needs and experiences of those most impacted by the criminal legal system.
*Note: The funding decrease is just under 17% ($165M total budget last year) and simply puts our spending on par with other similar-sized counties.
Budgets are value statements. Sign this petition to let the Board of Supervisors know your values as we reimagine public safety. More policing, incarceration, and massive law enforcement budgets don't make us safe. We have an opportunity to address the source of this harm and it starts with making impactful investments in our county, especially in communities of color, instead of continuing inhumane and inequitable systems. It is time for the county to move away from trauma and towards healing.
June 8 and 10 are the budget hearings:
1) Sign the petition
2) Share the petition on your social media
3) Text or email 10 friends and ask them to sign the petition
4) Email the Board of Supervisors, here are some talking points
5) Make a public comment on June 8/10
In Solidarity,
Healing Justice SB
Santa Maria Lompoc NAACP
El Centro SB
CAUSE
Future Leaders of America
Fund for Santa Barbara
Freedom 4 Youth
People's Justice Project
SURJ SB
Jewish Voice for Peace SB
SB Young Democrats
Association of Raza Educators, SB
Just Communities
Santa Barbara DSA
SB CAN
Santa Maria Valley Young Democrats
UCSB Campus Democrats
Bonfire Collective
Food Not Bombs Isla Vista
Vietnam Vets Against War SB
UCSB4COLA
United Corazon
Love Your Inmate
Santa Barbara Response Network
SURJ Santa Maria
Ethnic Studies Now! Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Healthcare Workers for Racial Justice
League of Women Voters SB
The Decision Makers
Petition Updates
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Petition created on April 13, 2021