Jim Kenney, Philadelphia mayor, to eliminate proposed $19M budget increase for police department

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said Tuesday that he will eliminate a proposed $19 million budget increase for the city’s police department, making him the latest big-city mayor to cave to the “defund police” movement.

Mr. Kenney said the cuts are part of steps towards reforming Philadelphia’s police department. Other proposals include creating a permanent civilian oversight commission, increasing transparency and improving diversity among the police force.

The mayor also said he intends to overhaul Philadelphia’s contract with police unions, including requiring officers to live in the city and change how internal affairs investigations are conducted.

“This moment is a beginning,” he said in a statement. “This dialogue and process won’t be easy, but for the first time our nation’s storied history, I hope that we have real, honest conversations about race and policing.”

Mr. Kenney did not identify where he would cut the department’s budget, beyond saying he would discuss it with the city council.

The cuts would bring the department’s budget in line with its total of $741 million. Mr. Kenney had initially proposed upping the department’s coffers to $760 million.

Mayors across the country are taking aim at police department budget after the death of George Floyd, a black man who died while in the custody of white police officers in Minneapolis.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Sunday he would shift funds away from the police department towards youth and social services.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti said last week he is seeking to identify more than $250 million in cuts from that city’s police department. Mr. Garcetti said the money should be reinvested in the black community and others “who have been left behind.”