🌹 Call Your City Councilors This Tuesday

Hello fellow organizers,

We are CALLING FOR SPEAKERS at Tuesday's City Council Meeting in which the American Recovery Plan proposal is being discussed.

Currently, the city is planning on allocating $1.8 million to a pilot program for a Community Crisis Response program. Click here to read their official proposal.

The Duluth NAACP Criminal Justice Committee, DSA Racial Justice Working Group, and the Duluth Community Safety Initiative are happy that the city is making commitments. HOWEVER, we need the city to commit to long-term, sustainable funding streams as well. It is estimated that a program like this would cost around $1.5 million per year and would require additional money for the start-up. Their committed $1.8 million will disappear fast!

We are asking you to attend Tuesday's council meeting and speak to the following points that all three organizations agree NEED to be included in plans to make Community Crisis Response a reality:

We demand that elected officials fund a community-led crisis response team that works separate from law enforcement.
The team will provide a non-punitive and compassionate response to mental health, housing, and drug-related crises.
The service must be city-wide.
The team will help reduce the use of Police and Fire Department time and allow them to focus their resources on violent crime, medical emergencies, and fires.
This service needs to ultimately be funded within the city's annual budget in order to ensure its long-term sustainability. More funding from the ARP would help in the meantime.

The City Council Meeting is Tuesday at 7 pm and is still online. You can access the meeting on WebEx by clicking here. Attend this meeting and then raise your hand (using WebEx) when public comment begins for the American Recovery Plan budget. You will then be called on by the council and will have about 2 minutes to share. Please feel free to share your own experiences and perspective, but try to stay within the 4 aforementioned points so that our message appears organized and persuasive!

Attached to this email are additional flyers with statistics and information about the incredible Community Crisis Response service that must become a reality here in Duluth.

Please be in-touch with the Duluth Criminal Justice Committee, the DSA Racial Justice Working Group, or the Duluth Public Safety Initiative if you have questions about this initiative.

Everybody deserves a helping hand on their worst day.

[Note: this email originally came with three important attachments to help you prepare for the meeting, the DSA/NAACP Handout, the NAACP Crisis Response Flyer, and the July Citizen Blotter from LeanDuluth.org ]