Black Communities Question City Council’s Unjust Budget
Dallas Justice Now is organizing small business owners, parents, and educators are speaking out against the proposed Dallas budget, which leaves black neighborhoods without public safety services amidst record crimes and murders against people of color
Your support has accentuated the dire need for budget allocation to employ and field 4,000 trustworthy police officers.
We must continue raising our concerns about this unjust budget at every municipal gathering.
A Call to Action: The Time for Silence is Over
Dallas Justice Now is contesting a budget that leaves Black neighborhoods in a state of vulnerability. This is not just negligence; it is a blatant disregard for the lives and safety of Black individuals, especially when incidents of crime against minorities are on the rise.
The Dire Need for Trustworthy Police Officers
Your unwavering support has done more than make noise; it has accentuated the fundamental need for a budget that prioritizes the employment and fielding of 4,000 trustworthy police officers. We cannot afford to compromise on public safety. Quarter steps and half measures will only lead to more unnecessary victims who will most likely be a minority, according to current statistics. In every town hall, in every neighborhood, all communities are asking, if not pleading, for there to be more officers hired immediately.
Speak Out, Stand Up, Show Up
We must continue raising our concerns about this unjust budget at every municipal gathering. In a city where Black people make up 25% of the population but are disproportionately victims of murder, aggravated assault, theft, kidnapping, and rape, silence is complicity.
The Hypocrisy of City Management
While we struggle for basic safety measures, the city manager and city council are preparing to vote on augmenting their salaries, stipends for transportation, and even prioritizing furniture over public safety. Let’s not forget that last year, the City of Dallas overshot its furniture budget, spending $888,000 when only $455,000 was budgeted. This is not just wasteful; it’s insulting, especially when we have a City Manager making over twice as much as the Governor and then states that is all the money available to compensate our officers.
The Breaking Point of Law Enforcement
Our police officers are burning out due to mandatory overtime, and the system of hotspot deployment is a band-aid solution that can only work for so long. Police officers need to feel safe and integrated into the communities they serve. The current system, which often places officers in districts where they don’t live, is flawed and unsustainable.
Questionable Priorities in Public Transport
Dallas Area Rapid Transport receives abundant funding, yet its effectiveness remains questionable. How can we justify this when our communities are under threat? All the public money spent planning, deliberating, and finally abandoning the “D-2” light rail could have been used to increase public safety.
Quality of Life vs. Basic Safety
Until our communities are safe, we must question the funds spent on quality-of-life activities like parades and festivals. Why should there be Pride parades when the Black community falls victim to crime? We should focus on increasing the number of safe communities from 290 to 750, not on celebratory expenditures that give way to reveling in identity politics.
The time for silence is over. The time for action is now.
