SSJC And Partners Testified In Support of Care Not Cops in the 2023 Budget

Several members of SSJC and our partner organizations were busy last week testifying at the County’s hearings on the proposed FY2023 budget.  We argued that the County should not presumptively rely on police to respond to a wide range of needs across the County – that is ineffective and inefficient, and it has proven unnecessarily and too often fatal for young Black men and people having a behavioral health crisis.  This document provides background and talking points on the 3 basic demands we lifted up which are to: 

1. Reject the creation of another police bureaucracy, the Community Resources Bureau, that unnecessarily expands police presence in our communities and schools
2. Support full coverage of mental health crisis outreach teams and related short-term stabilization facilities
3. Implement and expand mental health supports for our MCPS students