Hillsboro News-Times, June 29, 2021
[WCJI’s Kelsey] Jones says she's not surprised by the increase in the budget, adding that, in most cases, substantial reductions in police budgets means cutting the number of officers — a tall task when police unions hold a lot of influence over city officials.
She said that reducing the size of police departments should still be a priority for elected officials who are dedicated to meaningful reform.
"The money needs to be reallocated to a resource that's designed to help people, and we do not believe that the presence and influence and involvement of police overall helps those who are suffering from the things we want to help people with," Jones said.