Use the template below to craft a letter to the City Council or County Legislation. Keep in mind that letters are especially powerful when they come from residents and are written in your own words.
Subject:_________ (funky/simple/justice themed title)
Dear City Council Members / County Legislators ,
I am a resident of Troy on (include full or partial address). What is your investment in this community? I am writing to encourage you to immediately freeze additional funding for the Troy Police Department and reallocate $10 million from the TPD Budget to community services and projects led by and centering Black communities most impacted by violent policing. The excessive TPD Budget should be redistributed to
(insert your own ideas about what should be funded in our community!)
This is important because (insert your own reasoning)
I am writing in solidarity and support with the demands of Troy 4 Black Lives. The City Council has done nothing to address these demands, nor the historic rally last month of 11,000 people. The City Council continues to be complicit in the murder and harm of Black people in Troy.
We remember the lynching of Edson Thevenin and the attempted murder of Dahmeek McDonald by Troy police, as well as the subsequent coverups by Mayor Madden, district attorneys, and other Troy officials.
Defund Troy Police now! Invest in Black Communities!
Sincerely,