This document outlines proposals to reduce the Somerville Police Department budget and reallocate those funds. The SPD budget has grown faster than inflation while other programs like housing, arts, and sustainability have seen cuts. Specific proposals include reducing the police budget by 10-60% and allocating those funds instead to education, affordable housing, economic development, sustainability programs, and social services like crisis counseling. Cutting the police budget by 60% could double several other departmental budgets and leave millions available for alternative emergency response programs.

1. #DefundThePolice
Talking points for Somerville Budget 2021

2. 18.2
million dollars
the budget
of Somerville PD
in 2020*
*inclusive of e911 and ACO

3. Somerville PD budget grows year-to-year at twice the inflation rate

4. Somerville PD budget is still 3x higher than all these public good
programs combined:
- Affordable housing
- Constituent services
- Arts council
- Somerpromise
- OSE
- Veteran’s services
- Housing Stability
- Health
& Human Services
- Libraries
- Recreation

5. Spending Over Time by Department
The bloated budget of the SPD is
at the expense of key services.
The SPD Budget is:
- 26x the Housing budget
- 22x the Economic
Development budget
- 29x the Arts budget
- 5x the Health and Human
Services budget

6. Proposed Cuts in FY21: What Are We Investing In?
Art Council Budget: -9.7%.
Office of Sustainability and Environment: -8.2%.
OSPCD Housing: -12.0%.
OSPCD Economic Development: -26.4%.
School Budget usually +5% per year -- Proposed Increase: +1.92%
Proposed cut to the Police Budget: -3.3%

7. While the police
budget has
increased over
the years, this
has not been
due to an
increase in the
number of police
officers.

8. Over the period of 2012-2018,
the number of police officers
stayed the constant, while
crime rates decreased
significantly.
The police do not reduce
crime. During the period of
2012-2018 the number of
criminal situations related to
murder, rape, robbery,
assault, burglary, theft, auto
theft, and arson decreased
on average by 40%. There is
no evidence this is the result
of anything done by the
police.
This same time period saw a
significant economic
recovery from the 2007-2008
crash and improved
economic conditions have
been proven to reduce crime.

9. Somerville has too many officers. Even at the higher crime rates during 2012, for each full time officer there were only 16 incidents of
murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, theft, auto theft, and arson in a whole year.
At the lower crime rates of 2018, there were less than 10 incidents in those categories per officer per year. That is less than 1 incident per
officer per month.
Why do we need so many armed full time police officers when there are so few major crimes?

10. Some Ideas on Specific Cuts and Re-Allocation: Level 1
Name Dollar Amount
If currently listed patrol vacancies were not back-hired $ 391,192.50
Office of Sustainability FY21 Budget Cut $ 40,704.00
OSPCD Housing FY21 Budget Cut $ 78,598.00
OSPCD Econ Development FY21 Budget $ 197,474.00
Somerville paraprofessional Starting Salary $ 25,000.00
If the current patrol vacancies were not back-hired, the dollar amount would be enough to
eliminate the need for budget cuts for the Office of Sustainability, OSPCD Housing, OSPCD
Economic Development, and hire ~3 (2.97) paraprofessionals.

11. Some Ideas on Specific Cuts and Re-Allocation: Level 2
Name Dollar Amount
If SPD Budget was reduced by 10%, rather than proposed 3.3% $ 1,682,430.60
If currently listed patrol vacancies were not back-hired $ 391,192.50
Office of Sustainability FY21 Budget Cut $ 40,704.00
OSPCD Housing FY21 Budget Cut $ 78,598.00
OSPCD Econ Development FY21 Budget $ 197,474.00
Average Somerville Public School Teacher salary $ 82,291.00
Somerville paraprofessional starting salary $ 25,000.00
If the SPD budget was reduced by 10% rather than the proposed 3.3% and patrol
vacancies were not back-hired, the dollar amount would be enough to eliminate the need
for budget cuts for the Office of Sustainability, OSPCD Housing, OSPCD Economic
Development AND hire 16 new teachers (based on avg. teacher salary) OR 54
paraprofessionals at their starting salary.

12. What Could We Cut to Reduce the Police Budget by 11%?
Name Dollar Amount
If currently listed patrol vacancies were not back-hired $ 391,192.50
Training Overtime $ 200,000.00
Weapons of Mass Destruction $ 63,500.00
Holidays Non-Union $ 4,782.00
Temporary Wages $ 50,000.00
Overtime Cut Amount if Reduced by 30% $ 334,409.10
Shift Differential Cut Amount if Reduced by 40% $ 393,677.60
Holiday Cut Amount if Reduced by 40% $ 290,919.60
Total Cut $ 1,728,480.80

13. The Demand of the People: Reduce the Police Budget by 60%
If the police budget was reduced by 60%, the $ amount would be enough to
double the budget for OSPCD Housing, OSPCD Econ. Development, Health and
Human Services, and the Office of Sustainability AND have $3,696,406.80 left
over to invest in alternatives to policing like crisis counselors and social workers.
Name Dollar Amount
Amount Cut if SPD Budget cut by 60% $ 6,817,608.40
Average OSPCD Housing Budget (2011-2020) $ 307,508.40
Average OSPCD Econ. Development Budget (2011-2020) $ 428,692.80
Average Health and Human Services Budget (2011-2020) $ 2,116,645.70
Average Office of Sustainability Budget (2011-2020) $ 268,354.70

14. The Demand of the People: Reduce the Police Budget by 60%
Name Dollar Amount
If currently listed patrol vacancies were not back-hired $ 391,192.50
Training Overtime $ 200,000.00
Weapons of Mass Destruction $ 63,500.00
Holidays Non-Union $ 4,782.00
Temporary Wages $ 50,000.00
Overtime Cut Amount if Reduced by 30% $ 334,409.10
Shift Differential Cut Amount if Reduced by 40% $ 393,677.60
Holiday Cut Amount if Reduced by 40% $ 290,919.60
Staff Reduction (1 Deputy Chief, 1 Captain) $ 368,823.70
Staff Reduction (5 Lieutenants, 7 Sergeants) $ 1,606,279.60
Staff Reduction (34 Patrol Officers) $ 3,159,968.90
Total Cut $ 6,863,552.10