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Rep. Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort) wants constituents to join him in calling on House Democrats and City Council members pledging to defund police to immediately disavow these "radical far-left proposals," including the one to cut $770,000 from law enforcement budget in Asheville.

Kidwell made his comments in a Sept. 21 Facebook post, linking to an article reporting on the topic. 

Asheville amended its current budget to cut approximately 3% of the Police Department's $30 million budget, in response to local calls to reduce police spending. 

Rep. Keith Kidwell wants citizens to voice their opposition to Asheville’s decision to cut the city’s Police Department’s $30 million budget by 3%. | Facebook

The nearly $770,000 reduction comes with nationwide calls to reimagine how policing happens in communities and local residents who supported funding changes had wanted a 50% reduction, the Asheville Citizen Times reported on Sept. 18.

In response, conservative leaders, such as Kidwell, have opposed any funding reductions and have said that their peers on the left do not support law and order. 

City Council members approved the funding reduction in a 5-2 vote at the Sept. 22 meeting, 7 News WSPA.com reported on Sept. 23. 

Calls to defund the Asheville Police Department came after the May death of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of a white police officer. The death was captured on video and posted to social media, sparking a nationwide backlash.  

The Asheville Police Department has warned that reducing the $30 million budget may create service delays amid an uptick in violent crime.  

WSPA.com reported that Councilman Brian Haynes said the 3%-reduction was "way short" of what Black residents had wanted. Despite the 3% cut, the councilman also said that the Police Department would receive a $4.1 million increase over the next five years. 

In addressing criticisms about the 3% cut, City Manager Debra Campbell said this is not the end of reevaluating police funding and that changes will take time to ensure police still receive support while new structures are created. 

"The time this change will take will be considered too slow for some of you, but change will come," Councilwoman Julie Mayfield said, WSPA.com reported.

The money Asheville leaders removed from the $30 million budget came from several line items, including using $300,000 from six vacant telecommunicator positions and reassigning that money to the ITS and Development Services Department, WSPA.com reported. 

The governing body will use the reallocated funding for nuisance response issues, data management and transparency with public safety data analysis, broadband for public housing, expansion of the city's Communication and Public Engagement Department, parks and recreation safety and homelessness outreach.