She also said she was, “committed to developing a plan that can reasonably and responsibly address diverting funds from SDPD.” Here’s what she said: “As the sole Black San Diego City Councilmember, I can promise the community that I did everything within my power to have the hard conversations around diverting funding and repurposing it for social and economic justice programming.” As we reported then, she came close to embracing the defund movement, but did not use the word “defund.” There was a lot of backlash to the vote that day to approve the budget. The new group would address structural inequality across city departments and control a $3 million fund that it could invest in communities or use to partner with nonprofit groups working in racial justice. She got funding for an Office of Racial Equity. But I really want to see what that looks like and have a plan for it.” I think our officers are charged to do too many things and over the long term we need to look at reallocation, and allowing officers to do what they were originally charged to do. Here’s what she told us then: “I do want everyone to know that I really do believe that we need to look at the way we provide public safety. Mongomery Steppe was open to reconsidering the police department’s role in the city. She focused her comments on equity and disparity issues in the city. She was, however, sympathetic to the outrage over the treatment of Black people by law enforcement officers across the country. Montgomery Steppe voted to approve the budget. No one on the City Council supported or proposed cuts during that meeting. The public comment period alone was nearly 12 hours long. On June 8, 2020, after the murder of George Floyd and the protests it provoked, hundreds of commenters demanded the City Council cut $100 million from the police budget. What Montgomery Steppe Said Council President Pro Tem Monica Montgomery Steppe in City Council Chambers in downtown on June 13, 2023. Here are the facts about what she said and did. The Police Officers Association is standing by the mailer. Police spending has continued to increase. And requested a study that could identify, “potential reprogramming opportunities.” In other words, reallocating funding from police. She has, however, asked for cuts to the police overtime budget. Despite a historic police staffing crisis, City Councilmember Monica Montgomery Steppe sought to slash the city’s police budget.”įirst, some context: In the five years Montgomery Steppe has been in office, she has voted to approve every budget – including the one the City Council passed in 2020 when hundreds of people were calling for defunding the department in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police.Įach time she has voted yes, the police department’s budget has increased. This specific mailer has a lot of messages.īut let’s focus on this statement: “Supported defunding the police department. The San Diego Police Officers Association sent it to damage San Diego Councilwoman Monica Montgomery Steppe’s image as she runs for the county supervisor seat former County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher vacated. So we’ve been getting a lot of calls about a mailer. Brews & News: Voice of San Diego Live Podcasts.Fact Check: Did Montgomery Steppe Support Defunding the Police? | Voice of San Diego Close
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