By Amber Senesac

As a Colorado resident who is strongly engaged within my community, I encourage the people of Colorado to strongly take into consideration their stance for Proposition 130, Law Enforcement Funding Initiative and to vote no on this bill. Proposition 130 will invest $350 million into law enforcement.

As a school social work intern along with a substitute teacher, I have developed a strong passion for advocating for our youth, which in turn affects our communities.

This is not where funding should be allocated due to ineffective safety strategies that would occur if passed. Proposition 130 aims to increase the amount of law enforcement officers and salaries, and funding in turn will be taken away from community agencies and organizations.

With my current experience within the school district, I have become more aware of not only what our children are having to face, but all of us as a collective.

I see students who are heavily affected by mental health concerns, navigating relationships, and ensuring they are excelling in school.

With a heavy heart and mind students have when navigating these natural life experiences, a mistake that could be a learning experience can lead to a future of fear and consequences.

Studies show that “presence of an SRO at school increases the rate of arrests involving disorderly conduct charges by 128.2%,” Matthew T. Theriot wrote in the Journal of Criminal Justice. The issue of safety for our youth cannot be resolved by adding police officers, but instead by educating and incorporating values and support to our students with statistically proven and effective practices. These values which we as citizens hold closely to our hearts.

Colorado residents pride themselves on the values for future generations along with the connection and bonds that are provided through inclusive communities and efforts.

With increasing funds for law enforcement, this will only take away our trajectory of fighting for marginalized communities and their rights, along with the safety of all people. Research shows that funding that is allocated elsewhere such as social service agencies has been on the rise rather than directed to law enforcement.

Let us continue our fight to prioritize our communities and the safety of our future generations, and fight against punitive strategies that will occur if Proposition 130 gets passed.

Together we can create a state with less crime and more resources for mental health. During this time with the upcoming election, it is important to take note of what is occurring in our communities and to pay close attention to how upcoming social problems will be affected based on certain propositions.

We as citizens must do our job to allow the safest approach for our youth and for our people. Voting no on this proposition will lead us closer to a culture we have been yearning for.

If you have not been one to focus on these issues in your community, now is the time to do so, and in return, it will allow for more opportunities in the future. Thank you for your consideration to this stance.

Amber Senesac, Mead