Letter: Invest in schools

Our community will become what we make it for our children. Seventy percent of funding for schools in Washington comes from the state government, while the local government controls spending.

The city of Vancouver has an upcoming annual budget of $1.3 billion. From 2019 to 2022 alone, the Vancouver Police budget will increase from $53.7 million to $68.5 million.

Cities similar to ours, Tacoma and Spokane, spend three to four times more than us on police, yet boast crime rates double ours.

Police funding will never stop crime, as over half of crimes are not reported and half of those that are never see justice.

By investing in services that kids and then adults rely on in order to healthily manage their lives, we can stop crime.

Step one is to end cuts plaguing our Evergreen and Vancouver public schools. These districts serve over 50,000 young Vancouverites.

Every year we buy into fear-based narratives that police prevent crime, instead of investing in our future. The resources exist, and can be used for the future of Vancouver instead of a police force that doesn’t prevent crime.