ASHLAND, Ore. — The death of George Floyd and calls to reform in policing have sparked a national conversation about defunding law enforcement in major cities across the country.
Ashland is no exception.
A ‘Defund the Ashland Police’ rally and march is planned for this Saturday, June 13th.
Event organizer and former Ashland City Councilor, Eric Navickas, says defunding police doesn’t mean getting rid of law enforcement.
It means money is diverted from law enforcement into other programs, such as social work or health initiatives.
“We’ve seen grows in the police budget for the last ten or so years is exceptional and it’s time for this to stop and it’s time for us to invest our limited city funds into other services that really benefit the community,” said Navickas.
Navickas says the city is facing financial issues due to Covid-19 and like many cities across the country, will have to make budget cuts.
He wants those budget cuts to be for law enforcement and for the city to maintain other services like the city’s fire department and parks.
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