SPOKANE, Wash. — Ahead of Monday night's Spokane City Council meeting, a local group marched to send a message to the city.
"Reclaim and Revitalize Spokane," asked the community to march to City Hall to reclaim the safety and vitality of the city.
An organizer of Reclaim and Revitalize Spokane says they do not support Mayor Lisa Brown's budget proposal which will cut funding for the Spokane "Community Oriented Policing Services," or C.O.P.S.
The City has been giving the non-profit nearly $500,000 each year to fund its services such as fingerprinting for children. But the mayor's budget proposal would instead allocate the $450,000 to an RFP, also known as a Request For Proposal. Different organizations can apply for funding if they're believed to be a viable service for the community.
The group that marched to City Hall believes Spokane city leaders aren't doing enough to keep downtown Spokane safe, which they say is driving away businesses and visitors.
Organizer Christine Quinn said taking away funding from C.O.P.S. won't make things any better.
"Our city is in crisis right now," Quinn said. "People are afraid to go downtown. There's lawlessness, open air, drug use, and it seems to get worse, almost on a daily basis."
Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall previously said Spokane C.O.P.S. services weren't being used at a rate he felt was adequate.