We are currently engaged in a campaign in Lebanon, NH to reallocate 50% of the police budget to other services that aid and support citizens. Please read and sign our petition.

On Wednesday, November 18, members of UVDSA presented our CareNotCops proposal to the Lebanon City Council who will consider it as they determine the 2022 police budget. Watch the presentation below.

We believe that the current City of Lebanon budget priorities--which allocates $6.3 million to the police while allocating only $560,000 to health and human services--do not reflect the values of our community.

We support reducing the police budget in Lebanon 50% by 2022 and reallocating the $3.15 million to social services provided by the city and local non-profits.

We believe re-allocating a portion of public funds from the police department will create a safer and healthier community by providing much-needed resources for senior services, substance abuse counseling, affordable housing, transportation, and other social services.

We urge members of the city council, as officials elected to represent and advocate for the interests of their community, to support a 50% police budget reallocation at the upcoming budget meeting.

Proposal summary

➜ Rethink emergency and crisis response.

Provide an array of options (in addition to police) for emergency and crisis response, including trained mental health professionals and social workers. Redirect community members who are suffering from mental health crises, substance abuse issues, and poverty away from the criminal justice system and toward organizations that can provide the support they need. Reduce costs and improve outcomes for first responses.

➜ Invest in community needs.

Invest in local and regional efforts to address mental health, substance abuse, hunger, and poverty in our community. Provide increased support for residents that are redirected away from the criminal justice system (see above). Make investments in traffic safety infrastructure that reduce reliance on law enforcement.

➜ Provide funding for key municipal departments and initiatives.

Mitigate potential funding cuts to key municipal departments, such as Libraries, Recreation and Parks, and Public Works, so that they are fully able to carry out their duties for the City and its residents. Provide funding for the proposed Lebanon Community Center.

For more information, please view our full proposal to the city council or Contact Us.