Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti has announced a plan to cut between $100 million to $150 million from the LAPD budget. As many are calling to defund the police following the murder of George Floyd by white police officer Derek Chauvin, Los Angeles will now reinvest the $100 million to $150 million from the LAPD's budget into black communities.
"Prejudice can never be part of police work… It takes bravery to save lives, too," Mayor Garcetti said during a press conference Wednesday evening alongside City Council President Nury Martinez and councilmen Herb Wesson and Curren Price, who initiated the motion to enact the bill.
Garcetti announced plans for a $250 million budget cut in total, with the money then going towards jobs, education, and healing for communities of color.
"The city of Los Angeles is in the midst of a health and economic pandemic unlike any we have ever seen in our lifetimes," Martinez added. "Following the gruesome murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, we are also in the midst of a social and racial justice crisis of epic proportions, where the good people of Los Angeles as well as the nation are asking their leaders to re-examine our priorities and to commit to taking a giant leap forward in recognizing and ending racism against black Americans."
According to reports, LA's new budget will not take effect until July 1 when Mayor Garcetti signs and adopts the final revision of the bill.
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