Edit Santa Barbara, CA

[todd-m]

Minor copyedits to our "shining star" example because grammar issues here often make their way into other letters submitted.

Dear Santa Barbara City Council,

My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am a resident of [YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD/DISTRICT]. I am writing to demand that the Santa Barbara City Council adopt a city budget that prioritizes community well-being, and redirects funding away from the police.

In 2019, the City of Santa Barbara allocated $42 million to our police system, an inordinate 32% of our total budget. This is compared to just $13 million allocated towards community development (9.2% of the budget). Within the community development budget, $1.05 million was projected to be spent on human services (0.07% of the city's budget), with even less appropriated for housing development (0.04%).

I demand that the City Council begin to meaningfully defund the Santa Barbara Police Department and to reallocate those funds to programs proven to more effectively promote a safe and equitable community: community-based mental health services, substance abuse treatment services, affordable housing programs, and more. We need a budget that reflects the actual needs of Santa Barbara residents.

History has shown that police "reform" is not enough. We must take a hard look at the ways that the current system in place fails to serve--and in fact actively harms--our community, and come together to reimagine the role of police in our city.

Thank you for your time,

[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR ADDRESS]
[YOUR EMAIL]
[YOUR PHONE NUMBER]