Not sure who your council member is? Find out here. Make sure you tell them where you live so they can verify that you’re a constituent.
In addition to your district council member, call these at-large members too:
Council Member Sallie Alcorn, 832.393.3017
Council Member David W. Robinson, 832.393.3013
Here’s the script. Scroll to the end for quick talking points if that’s more comfortable than using a script:
Hi, my name is [your name]. I’m a resident of District # and I live at [address]. I’m calling in advance of the budget hearing on Wednesday, June 10. Because policing does not protect the safety of black and brown people in our communities, and because overpoliced neighborhoods need deep and meaningful investment for a better future, I’m asking you to reduce funding for the Houston Police Department in the upcoming budget and invest in community supports like health, housing, and jobs for black and brown communities.
Mayor Turner and Chief Acevedo have said that Houston is at the forefront of innovative policing strategies, yet officer-involved shootings and no-knock raids remain unjustified and the City has failed to pass basic accountability measures. The time for weak measures has passed. It’s your responsibility to ensure that all of Houston’s residents will benefit from a version of public safety that prioritizes their dignity, health, and autonomy. The City Council must take bold steps to set forth a positive vision of peace and justice for our city.
I recognize that time is short. That’s why I’m asking you to amend Mayor Turner’s proposed budget to remove any and all line items that expand the tools, tactics, and resources available to HPD officers. Any budget that expands the funding and resources for HPD in the coming year is a failure to the city’s long-term goals to end police violence and reduce police presence on our streets. If there are no amendments that capture these goals, I’m asking you to tag line items in Mayor Turner’s proposed 2021 budget that relate to HPD so that advocates and city council members might have additional time to craft an appropriate response to the uprisings against police brutality in Houston and around the country.
Thank you for your time.
Talking points for making a call in your own words:
Give your name, city council district, and address at the beginning so the councilmember’s office confirms you are their constituent. Otherwise they might not note the call as a constituent concern.
The city has failed to pass basic accountability measures but they are too little, too late. Houston police officers are killing community members too. HPD have killed 6 people since mid-April with no consequences. The death of any single person at the hands of the police is unacceptable.
The city must prioritize public safety through investment in health, housing, and jobs for black and brown communities. Money spent on policing is money not spent on community health and services.
I am asking the councilmember to:
Amend Mayor Turner’s proposed budget to remove any and all line items that expand the tools, tactics, and resources available to HPD officers
If there are no amendments that do this, tag line items in the proposed budget that relate to HPD so advocates and city council members can have additional time to craft an appropriate response to the uprisings against police brutality in Houston and around the country.
Thank them at the end