As part of the micro-campaign to Defund the COPS Program, The People’s Coalition for Safety and Freedom will be hosting a Teach-In on Thursday, July 16th at 6pm CT/7pm ET.  Can you join us?

Register Here

Defund COPS: A Teach-In Language for ListServ:

The Community Oriented Policing Services” or “COPS” program was a key part of the 1994 Crime Bill. Through the COPS Program, Congress has funneled billions of dollars to states and cities to increase the presence of police officers in Black communities. The impact of the program has been devastating. It’s vital that Congress isn’t allowed to capitalize on this summer’s rebellion to legitimize and pour more funding into racist, repressive, and ineffective public safety measures. Teach-In participants will learn about local and national efforts to defund the program, and how to get involved in the campaign to repeal and replace the legislation that funds the COPS Program– the 1994 Crime Bill.

The COPS Program has helped precipitate the policing crisis that we find ourselves in today. Through the COPS Program–a key part of the 1994 Crime Bill–Congress has funneled billions of dollars to states and cities to increase the presence of police officers in Black communities. The so-called “Community Oriented Policing Services” or “COPS” program was a key component of this legislation and has granted over $19 billion to state and local governments to fund police programs.

MORE POLICE – Some estimates show that the COPS Program directly contributed to the hiring of an additional 100,000 police officers nationwide.

MORE CONTACT BETWEEN POLICE AND COMMUNITY– Congress keeps spending money on policing, instead of on communities, including just recently authorizing another $300 million a year towards the program. Bill Barr and Donald Trump are using the COPS program to send federal law enforcement agents into Black and brown communities through something like “Operation Relentless Pursuit”.

MORE SURVEILLANCE, ESPECIALLY IN SCHOOLS– The COPS program has also fueled the school-to-prison pipeline by funneling more than $1 billion to the expansion of policing and surveillance infrastructure in public schools and putting thousands of police officers inside of schools.

We Must #DefundCOPS now! Join The People’s Coalition for Safety and Freedom to learn more about the COPS Program, how it’s impacting policing where you live, and how you can get involved in efforts to #DefundCOPS