An eleven-hour meeting in Norman Tuesday night ended with the city council voting to cut $865,000 from the police department’s budget. The money will be spent on community support programs instead.
The cut comes after Norman residents called for major changes to policing as part of a nationwide wave of protests against police killings.
Protesters wanted more substantial cuts and reinvestment in alternative programs. Several city council members voiced support for a continued conversation about police reform, but said they didn’t see a benefit in making deep cuts to the budget.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Oklahoma City Council passed their own police department budget of $226 million without diverting funds for police reform.
Only Councilmember JoBeth Hamon voted against approving the budget. Councilmembers Nikki Nice and James Cooper chose not to vote after voicing their desire to see changes in the way the city's black residents are policed.
