In what could be a heated Boston City Council meeting on Wednesday, there are several items on the agenda re: funding for the Boston police department. “Defund the police” – a rallying cry at protests across the country – has made police budgets a hot topic of discussion.  

So what exactly does “Defund the police” mean? It means moving funding from the police budget to other areas that need improvement like housing and education. It does not mean dismantling the police.

One of the first items on the City Council’s agenda on Wednesday  is a $1.3M grant to fund the BPD with training and equipment to help them carry out community policing during COVID-19.  Other police items include banning facial recognition technology, racial profiling, using excessive and  militarized force, and the role of police in our schools. Also included is discussion about the MBTA closing stations during protests.

You can see the full list of agenda items here.  The City Council meeting starts at 12pm on Wednesday.  You can watch it live here.