Colorado Springs organizers calling to defund Police, criticize 2021 city budget

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Community organizers in Colorado Springs are criticizing the city's 2021 budget proposal that if approved, would add $4 million to the police department.

On Wednesday, an organization called Colorado Springs DSA released a statement saying the Colorado Springs Police Department needs to be defunded. The group calls the budget increase, "fiscally and morally irresponsible."

Kevin Mitchell is one of those community organizers.

"I don't believe they need all that money, especially in a climate where it's so problematic between the community and police," Mitchell said. He and others believe those funds should be diverted to police training or given to community programs.

However, Mayor John Suthers says money has been allocated to help the community.

Suthers said federal dollars are being put toward affordable housing and funding to support shelter bed operations for the homeless population. He also says more money is going toward the police department to hire ten additional officers.

"We needed to add those police officers because our response times have gotten out of kilter," Suthers said.

The mayor says defunding the police is not going to make the city safer.

"We need to make sure that we can respond to requests from the police service by citizens who are being victimized by crime in a timely fashion," Suthers said. The mayor also says there has been widespread support for local officers. But Mitchell says it's not from everyone.

"You are not providing a service for everybody in the community," says Mitchell. "To ask for more even money to get more officers is even more insulting because he just comes off tone-deaf like he is not listening to what the community is asking."