Cities around the US have already cut at least $1.19 billion from police budgets since George Floyd was killed

• 7 cities around the US have collectively cut $1.19 billion from their police budgets since the death of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.
• New York and Los Angeles have made by far the biggest cuts, at $1 billion and $150 million.
• Many more considering taking similar action.

US cities have already cut at least $1.187 billion from their police budgets since George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in May, prompting renewed protests across the country.

Floyd's death forced attention on the disproportionate number of Black people killed by the police and the high numbers of fatal shootings by US police compared to in other countries.

Protesters and activists have rallied around calls to "defund the police," which typically means reducing police budgets and reassigning money to areas like housing and education.

Organizers say this will reduce police violence and help communities, and also address the roots of problems that police deal with.

Since Floyd's death, many cities around the US have pledged to rethink their policing, already committing to reducing police budgets and allocating the money for other areas of the community, including efforts to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Other cities across the country are considering the move. Business Insider identified seven which have already announced cuts.

New York cut $1 billion

New York's City Council and Mayor Bill de Blasio agreed on a budget that cuts the New York Police Department's budget by $1 billion, and pledges to invest the money in youth, housing and community services.

The department's budget was around $6 billion in 2019.

Lawmakers in the city claimed the cuts didn't go far enough, with Comptroller Scott Stringer calling them a "bait and switch and a paper-thin excuse for reform."

City leaders supported the move, with the City Council's speaker and majority leader issuing a joint statement with leaders from the State Democratic Conference, Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, and other groups.

It said this "unprecedented reduction" would "not only limit the scope of the NYPD, but also show our commitment towards moving away from the failed policing policies of the past."

Los Angeles cut $150 million

The Los Angeles City Council voted to cut the LAPD's budget by $150 million, with most of that coming from funds to pay police overtime.

The department has a budget of nearly $2 billion.

Councilman Curren Price, a Democrat who endorsed the budget cut, said two-thirds of the figure that was cut would be given to supports, like services for Black, Latino, and disenfranchised communities, such as hiring programs and summer youth jobs.

The City Council's resolution said that "We need to rethink what it is that makes people safer and makes communities stronger," Time reported.

"We cannot just look at the police in isolation. There is no doubt that communities of color suffer disproportionately from negative interactions with the police."

Oakland, California cut $14.6 million

Oakland City Council cut the city's police budget by $14.6 million.

Some council members also formed a task force to explore eventually cutting the budget in half, which would be a reduction of $150 million, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Boston, Massachusetts cut $12m

Councilors voted for a budget that reallocates $12 million from the department's $60 million overtime budget to social initiatives.

Eight out of the city's 13 councilors signed a letter that calls for deeper cuts, matching the call from activists who want a 10% cut to the police's $414 million budget, the Boston Herald reported.

Berkeley, California cut $9.2 million

Berkeley City Council cut $9.2 million from its police budget, a reduction of 12%.

Jesse Arreguin, the California city's mayor, said that the "overwhelming message" from the public is that "we do need to defund the police and we need to reinvest money from our police department budget into other community priorities, including expanding mental health, outreach and treatment, services for our homeless, housing and services that specifically address the needs of our Black and brown communities," the East Bay Times reported.

San Leandro, California cut $1.7 million

The city's council was one of the first in the country to vote to alter its police budget after Floyd's death.

Mayor Pauline Russo Cutter said, "It was a result of what our community was saying and what's happening in the country," The Mercury News reported.

Hartford, Connecticut cut $1m

Hartford's City Council voted to cut $1 million from its police department's budget, a move supported by Mayor Luke Bronin.

The money is going to public services, including housing and childcare.

Bronin said: "While I disagree deeply with the calls to 'abolish' or drastically defund the police, we are committed to reform and reimagining policing, and that's reflected in this budget," NBC Connecticut reported.