Activists call for defunding of police to varying degrees
SALINAS, Calif. (KION) Protesters throughout the Central Coast are pushing to defund police departments. But the phrase means different changes to different people.
Protesters have chanted "defund the police" at rallies throughout Monterey County. And they say the meaning is a spectrum.
For Alisha Marie Ragland in Monterey, her goal is an actual disbanding of their department.
"What we mean by defunding the cops is slowly transitioning into a community that really keeps itself safe," Ragland said.
But she acknowledged there were a lot of steps to get there, and different cities have different challenges and needs.
"The resources that are in those places will need to reflect their community needs," Ragland said.
That's why "Community Before Cops" and other social media efforts are pushing for residents to speak up in their own city council meetings.
In Salinas on Tuesday, a group rallied outside City Hall. Many people told KION they didn't want to get rid of the police department, but instead wanted to take significant parts of their funding and invest it in other areas.
“There are so many programs that deserve time and attention: the library system, the education system, our mental health care system,” Salinas resident Andrea Rocha said.
Chief Adele Frese said they should not have their budget slashed.
Chief Frese pointed to violent crimes especially homicides in Salinas dropping significantly since 2015, going from 40 to just eight last year.
In that time, their budget increased by nearly $8 million. But the percentage of the budget stayed the same. Still a high amount, at about 44 percent.
"We’re seeing the results in our hiring and our retention and we’re seeing the benefits," Chief Frese said.
As for calls to have many social services handled by other departments and send funding that way, Frese said police are needed.
“Because, without us, I don’t know who would do that job,” Frese said.
In the coming weeks, city councils will continue to field public comments from people looking to divert police funding.
