Berkeley City Council cuts $9 million from police funding

By KTVU Staff

Published July 1, 2020 10:34am PDT

Death of George Floyd

Berkeley cuts police funding

The City of Berkeley moved to cut $9 million from the police department budget.

BERKELEY, Calif. (KTVU) - The Berkeley City Council passed a budget on Wednesday that will slash more than $9 million from police funding.

The killing of George Floyd sparked demands across the nation for police reform and Berkeley leaders took heed.

Mayor Jesse Arreguín said the move to cut police funding is the first step to a new world of law enforcement in Berkeley.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, cuts will be made through hiring freezes and reducing police overtime.

The money that will be saved will be allocated to community programs.