At our June General Meeting, Detroit DSA voted unanimously to support a resolution to launch a chapter-wide campaign to defund and demilitarize police departments in the Metro-Detroit area.

Why are we, as socialists, demanding that police departments be immediately defunded? 

As the COVID-19 crisis collapses the economy, cash-strapped municipalities have begun slashing vital social services. And yet, they refuse to cut a penny from their bloated police budgets. 

Detroit is a prime example of this. Since 2017, the City Council and Mayor Duggan have spent upwards of $9 million in public funds to pay private companies to construct an elaborate camera surveillance and facial recognition system for its police force, while closing schools, cutting healthcare services, and shutting off water to poor people. And though Mayor Duggan has announced sweeping cuts to virtually every aspect of the city budget amid the pandemic, he and his stooges on city council have made clear that funding for police and mass surveillance should remain untouched. 

This is capitalism. Star Wars-level technology for the police, poverty and austerity for everyone else. Changing this reality requires that we confront power, showing up in the streets and applying massive pressure on elected officials to DEFUND THE POLICE and INVEST IN PEOPLE. 

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

PRESSURE THE DETROIT BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS TO END MASS SURVEILLANCE 

RIGHT NOW: Contact the Board of Police Commissioners before Thursday, July 9 demanding that they ban facial recognition technology and end the dystopian, racist, unconstitutional surveillance program known as Project Green Light. Send them a group message at [email protected] and call: 313-596-1830. (Background information and talking points HERE)

[NOTICE: The Board of Police Commissioners meeting scheduled for July 2 was cancelled]

NEXT WEEK: Attend the next Board of Police Commissioners meeting Thursday, July 9 at 3pm and apply further pressure by making a public comment. The Board intends to review a report on the Detroit Police Department’s use of facial recognition technology that led to the disgusting wrongful arrest of Robert Williams due to a faulty match. He spent 30 hours in jail despite his innocence. Show up to demand this technology be banned immediately! To attend the meeting online by Zoom click here. 

ELECT CANDIDATES THAT WILL CONTINUE THE FIGHT IN LANSING AND WASHINGTON D.C.

Absentee ballots are out and people have already started voting. We have 30 days to make sure DSA members Rashida Tlaib and Abraham Aiyash are elected to take this fight to the halls of power. Sign up to canvass this Sunday (7/5 from 11am-1pm) and phone bank with us every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30-8 PM.

Incumbent Rashida Tlaib is being challenged by Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones who has been a supporter of Project Green Light and recently put out a statement in opposition to calls to drop charges against protesters. We must defend Rashida’s seat in Congress and make sure our demands to #DefundPolice and invest in our communities are heard. 

Abraham Aiyash is a DSA member and long-time community organizer running for District 4 State Representative who is up against a Duggan-backed candidate. He vows to fight for the ban of facial recognition technology state-wide and push sweeping changes in policies that perpetuate racism and violence. He has also been endorsed by Bernie Sanders. 

Sign up here to canvass this Sunday (7/5 from 11am-1pm) and phone bank with us every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30-8 PM.

http://www.metrodetroitdsa.com/