LAWRENCE, Kan. — Police reform continues to be a topic of discussion in cities across the country after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, with many calling to defund the police.
In Lawrence, Mayor Jennifer Ananda read a letter to city commissioners at their meeting on Tuesday, highlighting an ambitious agenda. In the letter, she says "the need for our community to address systemic and individual racism is immediate and necessary.
"We are tasked with dismantling the structures that were built by our history that brought us here," Ananda wrote.
Her letter features a list of six items, including decriminalizing behaviors related to homelessness and drug addiction and establishing mental health and crisis response teams.
To do this, Ananda wants a percentage of city funds that go to law enforcement to be reallocated to partners or employees in areas that address those issues.
"This is the first step of many in defunding the police, to direct funds to the appropriate professions and community organizations that are equipped to address the issues that we have unfairly laid at the feet of law enforcement, expecting them to be social workers and crisis response workers," Ananda said.
Right now, it's unclear how much of the police department funding Ananda wants to reallocate to other organizations.
41 Action News spoke with several Lawrence residents who think some changes should happen.
"It would depend on how much is going to take away from the police, but social services have serious needs and I don’t they’re being met," resident Pete Casagrande said.
"Police need a system where they can be held accountable," resident Benjamin Krause said.
As outlined in her letter, here are the other areas Ananda wants the commission to focus on:
"Third, our community police review board and human rights commission should meet within 30 days and provide an opportunity for our community to engage in these conversations.
Fourth, our county commission issued a challenge to the city commission at their meeting last week after our conversation and vote about the land use at the jail property.
Fifth, I ask that the city commission allow me to sign up to commit to the 8 Can’t Wait mayor’s challenge issued by former President Barack Obama and would request that we receive a report from staff on our status as to these eight items at our next meeting.
Sixth, I would like to engage seriously in listening to our community on these issues. We are talking about broad, systemic change in these asks, and it is imperative to get it right while also acting swiftly."
The mayor and the Lawrence City Commission will discuss the proposal more in-depth at the commission's next meeting, which is scheduled for June 16.
41 Action News reached out to both the Lawrence Police Department and the local fraternal order of police for a response and had not heard back late Thursday afternoon.
