We’re asking for a city budget that invests in our community and true public safety.

In 2023, Charleston will spend over $60 million on policing, funding the CPD at a rate of $381 per resident. Comparatively, the city allocated just $8 per resident to Housing and Community Development, $6.12 per resident to Resilience and Emergency Management, and $2.46 per resident toward the Mayor’s Office for Children, Youth & Families.

Increasing police spending year after year does not result in a safer community. Charleston is not safe when 27% of Charleston residents face shelter poverty and more pedestrians die from unsafe streets here than almost anywhere else in the country. Many of the folks who make this city run suffer from low wages and an ever-increasing cost of living, and many of our neighbors can’t access the basic health services they need. Our beloved historic neighborhoods face the brunt of flooding, climate displacement, and continue to experience daily and long-term damage caused by underfunded public services and over-development. True public safety must address these critical issues – and unfortunately, more policing does not.

Having a People’s Budget in Charleston means reallocating $5 million of the CPD’s budget so we can better fund youth and education programs, safer sidewalks, broader weatherization assistance programs, and more affordable housing to help us continue to build a city that is safe and welcoming for everyone who calls Charleston home.

Join us by signing our petition to show city leadership we want a budget that works for everyone in Charleston, or learn more below!

Why put a small % of our police budget toward community programs?

In 2019, only 13.8% of arrests in Charleston involved incidents with serious threats of violence. The majority of the rest were for nonviolent, largely low-level offenses, such as having an open container, loitering, and disturbing the peace. Since 2015, there have been more arrests in Charleston for marijuana possession than there have been for all violent offenses combined.

The CPD racial bias audit in 2019 found that Black community members were nearly 3x more likely to face the use of force from CPD. White officers were disproportionately involved in these use-of-force cases, as 90% of officers who used force were white, but they only comprised 77% of police personnel.

But doesn't more police equal a safer Charleston?

Believe it or not, data has consistently shown that there is no correlation between spending more money on the police and lower crime rates! Check out some of these success stories from cities all over the U.S. 

• Cleaning up vacant lots in Philadelphia led to a 29% decrease in gun violence
• A trial of improved street lighting in NYC reduced outdoor, nighttime crimes by 36%
• Providing emergency assistance to community members experiencing economic uncertainty can reduce violent crime arrests by over 50%
• Cities all over the country are transforming their public safety by having unarmed specialists (instead of police) respond to 911 calls related to mental health and homelessness, causing significant reductions in arrests, altercations, and costs to taxpayers
• Expanding Medicaid and improving access to substance treatment and mental health services also consistently contribute to significant reductions in crime

We believe Charleston can create true public safety by reinvesting in our communities. Now is the time for our elected city leaders to take the first steps toward building a public safety system that ensures the safety and well-being of all.

Thank you for joining us!