Denver defunds police to pay for migrant crisis: Democrat city strips cops' budget of $8.4million in sweeping cuts
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The city of Denver has announced plans to defund the police to pay for the migrant crisis as the democrat city strips cops' budget of $8.4 million.
The sanctuary city's progressive Mayor Mike Johnston unveiled a budget proposal on Wednesday, allocating $89.9 million to assist incoming undocumented migrants, whom he refers to as 'newcomers.'
The amount will be drawn from approximately $45 million that's used for public programs and services.
As a result of this reallocation, the police and fire department are some of those expected to face budget cuts.
Johnston claimed this was the best option available to provide services to migrants.
'After more than a year of facing this crisis together, Denver finally has a sustainable plan for treating our newcomers with dignity while avoiding the worst cuts to city services,' Johnston said at the press conference discussing 'Newcomer Operations and 2024 Budget.'
'So many times we were told that we couldn't be compassionate while still being fiscally responsible. Today is proof that our hardest challenges are still solvable, and that together we are the ones who will solve them.'
Denver plans to spend the $89.9 million on various migrant assistance programs in 2024, including $3 million to 'Program Administration,' $51.7 million to 'Shelter and Housing,' $9.7 million to 'Supportive Services,' $9.5 million to 'One Time Capital Costs' and $10 million to 'Contingency.'
As a result, the fire department is expected to experience budget cuts of about $2.5 million.
Additionally, the city confirmed that the police department will face an $8.4 million reduction, equivalent to nearly two percent of its total operating budget.
The city does not plan to layoff its city employees, however, the city anticipates saving nearly $20 million by refraining from hiring certain applicants for currently vacant positions across various city agencies.
About 160 positions out of the roughly 13,000 in Denver will remain unfilled.
Denver will also implement changes to the payment structure for 911 operators as part of cost-saving measures.
The city intends to utilize funds from its "911 trust fund" to compensate 911 operators in 2024, although the exact amount of savings resulting from this fund is uknown.
The mayor's office will undergo the highest percentage of budget reduction, with the city planning to slash 9.6 percent of funding from Mayor Johnston's office, totaling $335,155.
The Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency department will face a budget cut of about 6.1 percent, while Department of Transportation and Infrastructure is set to be cut by 3.8 percent.
The Colorado capital has become inundated with new migrants crossing over the border - despite the fact the city is already at the brink in terms of resources.
With more than 40,000 arrivals in 2023 alone, the influx of migrants has contributed to a total migrant population of around 710,000 in the city.
In response, Denver has already spent over $42 million on migrant housing and medical services in 2023 and anticipates exceeding $100 million for similar expenses in 2024.
Denver, like other cities such as New York, are facing the brunt of the nationwide crisis of the flow of people at the southern border.
In January, Denver's progressive mayor Mike Johnston predicted the city would have to use 10 percent of its yearly budget on migrants - and will also need an additional $100 million to provide them with housing, schooling, and health care.
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