The group “Free the People ROC” is calling for a delay on Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren’s city budget, because it includes nearly a million dollars in funding for Rochester Police. The group wants the city to defund the RPD, saying the city’s own numbers show only seven percent of its budget goes to fighting violent crimes, and more than 80 percent goes to misdemeanors.
The group wants a 50 percent cut in the city’s law enforcement budget.
The group says it’s wrong to credit fighting misdemeanors as community safety. A spokeswoman said the money should be used to build up the community instead. She said a decision should be made to support things that benefit the community. She contends the police department harms the public and should be replaced by a community-led system of public safety.
The group spoke in front of City Hall in a Monday morning news conference. There was no mention of Governor Cuomo’s executive order for each municipality to develop a police reform plan by next April 1st.