Students want local government to defund police, transfer power to activists
Student organizations from two public Florida universities are supporting a left-wing community action group's fight for a 'People's Budget.'
The budget advocates for defuning the police and creating a citizens oversight committee to regulate police activity.
Student organizations from two public Florida universities are supporting a left-wing community action group’s fight for defunding the local police.
The policy is part of the Tallahassee Community Action Committee’s (TCAC) proposed ”People’s Budget.”
Campus Reform obtained photos of Wednesday’s City Commission Budget Workshop in Tallahassee, during which the People’s Budget was discussed.
This budget would provide citizens with the power to slash police budgets and manage all police activity and create the Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC).
Both the Florida State University (FSU) and Florida A&M University (FAMU) Students for Democratic Society chapters support the measure, as well as FSU Graduate Assistants United, per the organizations’ tweets.
CPAC would consist of elected civilians who are not associated with law enforcement. Regardless, the elected council would be responsible for investigating all “complaints and allegations of police misconduct” and penalizing officers who are found “guilty of misconduct.” as well as rewriting the department’s hiring standards.
Other responsibilities include “the ability to approve policies and procedures” and the “authority to rewrite” department hiring standards.
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The Council would have “subpoena power” and be in charge of approving the yearly police budget.
Tallahassee Community Action Committee advertised the workshop on Twitter. The post encouraged people to “come and speak out against the current city budget” as well as “support [its] struggle to reduce police funding[.]”
Join us, @tallysds, @famusds, @FSU_GAU, @TallahasseeDSA, @FRSO_Tally, @FAPPA, @coalition_trans and more in fighting for a People’s Budget! Come and speak out against the current city budget and support our struggle to reduce police funding! #PeoplesBudgetNow #CPACNow #Tallahassee pic.twitter.com/YBARsaVCPl
— Tallahassee Community Action Committee (@tallycac) May 16, 2022
The budget also advocated for “free healthcare for all,” “free and accessible public services” such as utilities, internet, and clothing, and the continuation of COVID-19 procedures in classrooms.
Campus Reform contacted every organization mentioned in this article and will update accordingly.
