Philadelphia City Council Poised To Divest Funding From Police In New Budget

Natasha Brown reports.

HEADQUARTERS, ALECIA REID, CBS-3EYEWITNESS NEWS.ALLEGATIONEST LEASIA THANKYOU.ALICIA THANK YOU.CITY COUNCIL POISED TO CUT FUNDFUNDING FOR POLICE AND MAKEMAJOR INVESTMENT ELSEWHERE AFTERPULLING AN ALL NIGHTER.NATASHA BROWN JOINS US NOW WITHTHE NUMBERS.HI NATASHA.HI JESSICA.WE CAN TELL YOU THAT CITYCOUNCIL MOVED ONE STEP CLOSER TOGETTING FINAL APPROVAL TO THECITY'S BUDGET TODAY.AND THAT MEANS MAJOR CUTS FORSOME DEPARTMENTS, MAJORINVESTMENTS IN OTHERS.UNDER UNPRECEDENTEDCIRCUMSTANCES, VIRTUAL HEARINGSAND A MARATHON SESSION THAT WENTWELL INTO THE NIGHT WEDNESDAYPHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCIL GAVEPRELIMINARY APPROVAL TO A FISCALYEAR 2021 BUDGET.WHAT WAS DONE TODAY WASSEISMIC.DOWN COUNCIL WAS TASKED WITHTACKLING A 749 MILLION-DOLLARBUDGET DEFICIT SPAWNED BY THECOVID-19 PANDEMIC.THE PRELIMINARY BUDGET DEAL CUTS$33 MILLION FROM THEPHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPARTMENT'SBUDGET AND ADDS PLANS TOIMPLEMENT POLICE REFORMMEASURES, LIKE MORE BODY CAMERASAND IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING FOROFFICERS.I WANT TO THANK THE THOUSANDSOF PEOPLE THAT RALLIED AND SENTEMAILS AND REACHED OUT TO US INSOCIAL MEDIA REGARDING INBUDGET.I THINK TODAY'S FIRST STEP INGETTING THE BUDGET DONE REFLECTSTHOSE CALLS FOR CHANGE.THE DRASTIC CUTS COMING INTHE MIDST OF ONGOINGDEMONSTRATIONS THROUGHOUT THECITY DEMANDING POLICE REFORM ANDCALLS TO DEFUND THE POLICE.IN THIS BODY YOU HAVE TO WORKTOGETHER.COUNCIL MEMBERS HELD A FIRSTREADING OF THE BUDGET DURING ITSMEETING ON THURSDAY.ACKNOWLEDGE MANY CUTS TO CITYSERVICES, THE BUDGET RESTORES$1.3 MILLION TO ARTS AND CULTUREFUNDING.INVESTS 20 MILLION IN AFFORDABLEHOUSING.25 MILLION IN REDUCING POVERTY.MAYOR JIM KENNEY HAD THIS TOSAY ABOUT A FINAL REVISED BUDGETTHAT WILL SOON BE HEADING HISWAY.IT PAINS ME THAT THIS BUDGETREDUCES SOME CITY SERVICES ANDELIMINATES HUNDREDS OF JOBS.STILL, WE HAVE PRIORITIZED CORESERVICES, PROTECTED OUR MOSTVULNERABLE RESIDENTS ANDMAINTAINED OUR FINANCIALFLEXIBILITY TO ENABLE A QUICKREBUILD.IN SHORT, I BELIEVE THIS BUDGETWILL ACCOMPLISH THE GOALIE LAIDOUT ON MAY 1ST.Reporter: WELL, WE DID GET ASCATHING RESPONSE FROM THE FOPTODAY ABOUT THE PROPOSED CUTS TOTHE POLICE DEPARTMENT.IN PART, IT READS, QUOTE: THISSPENDING PLAN WILL DEVASTATE ANYEFFORTS BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENTTO ENGAGE IN FUND NUMEROUSCOMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS.OUR POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IS TONEDEAF AND BLIND TO THE REALITIESOF PUBLIC SAFETY IN OUR CITY BYIMPLEMENTING THESE DRASTICBUDGET CUTS.AGAIN, CITY COUNCIL DOES PLANTO GIVE FINAL APPROVAL TO THISBUDGET NEXT THURSDAY.