The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutCORRESPONDENCE- #26Middleton, Samuel From: Felicity <felicitynf@aol.com> Sent: Monday, March 14, 2022 8:55 PM To: eComment Subject: Fully fund police oversight in the 2022-23 City Budget! No Accountability, No Budget! Dear Santa Ana City Council -- I am writing today to ask that you fully fund police oversight in the upcoming budget. Oversight is long overdue and must be prioritized. Santa Ana residents have called for independent oversight of the Santa Ana Police Department for nearly six decades, with the Orange County Congress of Racial Equality launching the effort in 1965; we need the City of Santa Ana to finally establish effective police oversight this year! It's also important that at least 50% of the budget for police oversight come from cost -savings measures from the Santa Ana Police Department. This is only fair, considering the huge percentage of the budget that traditionally goes to so-called "public protection". Thank you for considering my message -- Felicity Figueroa Middleton, Samuel From: roque rios <rios.roque@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2022 10:35 AM To: eComment Subject: Police oversight Hi, We must fund the police oversight committee, no more excuses! Roque Rios Middleton, Samuel From: Roxzel Soto <roxzelsoto@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2022 12:39 PM To: eComment Subject: Agenda Item 26 To whom it may concern, I am writing to request that the council fully fund police oversight in the 2022-23 City Budget. Oversight is long overdue and must be prioritized in the 2022-23 City Budget as this could potentially save taxpayers in lawsuits. At least 50% of the budget for police oversight must come from cost - savings measures from the Santa Ana Police Department. I have completed extensive research on the subject. Although many believe more police means a safer community, this has been disproven. Funding for community programs such as youth sports and preventative measures are much more effective in community safety. Thank you, Roxzel Soto Tellez Middleton, Samuel From: Greg Camphire <gcamphire@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2022 1:01 PM To: eComment Subject: Agenda Item 26: Early Direction for Fiscal Year 2022-23 Budget Cycle Hello, I am writing to comment on agenda item 26. As the city plans its direction for the 2022-23 budget cycle, it's imperative that we address critical concerns that residents have about funding for the Santa Ana Police Department. There is clearly a lack of trust within our communities for police officers who are inadequately trained, over -funded, and immune to discipline or consequences for incidents of police brutality. These concerns are not unique to our city —in addition to a growing national conversation following the 2020 George Floyd murder and subsequent human rights uprising, a recent California statE. a u6t found that thousands of Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies, supervisors and dispatchers haven't completed required training courses on firearms competency, use of force, arrest tactics, de-escalation and other topics. r � �.ri�. egg iu E^ DEE P:u�tu��ru��"°�...uu�SP�� Ct ur �".IEE ra: found that most of the Meanwhile, �: u��Yr u�� 1 u�u l �� ILA ��... .... .. .... .... .... officers determined to have wrongly used deadly force in recent years weren't disciplined — sometimes against the recommendations of top police officials. I wonder how this sad situation with the LAPD can be compared with the SAPID, if only we had the necessary data and statistics. We do know that, just last year, the SAPID senselessly killed a Santa Ana Councilman's cousin in a botched crime response, and that the department represents another public health threat as the least COVID-vaccinated city workers. These are just some of the reasons that I am joining many of my fellow Santa Ana residents to call for the full funding of police oversight methods in the 2022-23 City Budget. Santa Ana residents have called for independent oversight of the SAPID for nearly six decades, with the Orange County Congress of Racial Equality launching the effort in 1965. Therefore, oversight is long overdue and must be prioritized in the new budget. Skyrocketing funds for the SAPID must be redirected from poorly trained but increasingly militarized police departments. These funds can then be used for a variety of crime prevention and mitigation resources, including better -trained mental health responders as well as after -school programs, libraries, parks and recreation, arts and culture, and other resources that offer safe and healthy alternatives to crime for Santa Ana's youth. At the same time, our communities demand a robust, effective police oversight that includes these 8 qualifications: 1. Independent — Civilian oversight must be functionally separate from the police department. 2. Investigative & Subpoena Power — The authority and resources to investigate police brutality incidents, and demand the necessary witnesses and documents. 3. Transparent — Community members must be able to access & respond to the investigative process. 4. Community -Driven — Led by the residents most impacted by police violence. 5. Authority — the ability to make policy and disciplinary recommendations. 6. Practices & Policy — research and report on trends and practices inside the SAPD. 7. Chief Hiring & Firing — participation in these processes for the Chief of Police. 8. Community Engagement — publicly released reports and data on police misconduct. If the City doesn't take action on this issue this fiscal year, then when? How many more residents will suffer violence or death at the hands of the police before the city takes action? Please do the right thing and put the city's money where residents need it most. Thank you, Greg C. 92701 Middleton, Samuel From: Kelly Kraus -Lee <kellyakraus@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2022 2:17 PM To: eComment Subject: Agenda Item 26 In regards to agenda item 26: I am a resident of Santa Ana. In the 2022-23 city budget the city must fully fund police oversight. Residents have overwhelmingly called for such an oversight community for decades. It is long overdue and must be prioritized this year. Kelly Kraus -Lee Middleton, Samuel From: Hairo Cortes <hairo@chispaoc.org> Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2022 3:17 PM To: eComment Subject: Re: Agenda Item 26 - Early Direction for Fiscal Year 2022-23 Budget Cycle Attachments: Letter - Re- Preliminary FY2022-23 Budget Reccomendations.pdf Good afternoon, I am attaching a letter including recommendations for the 2022-23 FY Budget Cycle. In Solidarity Hairo Cortes Executive Director I Chispa e: haironchispaoc.org c: 657.272.3475 t: Pa cosmic mijo 1505 E 1.7th Street, Suite 117 Santa Ana, CA 92705 Chispa is building a political home for Latinx Youth in Orange County! Please consider making a small donation to help us build our casita. Chispa is a project of Tides Advocacy, a 501(c)4 non-profit organization. Confidentiality Notice: This communication with its contents may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information. It is solely for the use of the intended recipient(s). Unauthorized interception, review, use or disclosure is prohibited and may violate applicable laws including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender and destroy all copies of the communication. E-mail: hairo(&chispaoc.org March 15, 2022 Mayor Sarmiento and Members of the Council City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza P.O. Bo 1988, M31 Santa Ana, CA 92701 Re: Agenda Item 26 - Early Direction for Fiscal Year 2022-23 Budget Cycle Mr. Mayor and Members of the City Council I write on behalf of Chispa to urge you to direct city staff to adopt the following priorities within the first draft of the city's 2022-23 FY Budget, and in their processes for soliciting resident feedback on budget priorities: 1. Anticipate the cost of pending Police Oversight legislation, and include space within the first draft of the 2022-23 FY Budget to properly fund a robust and effective Police Oversight Board. 2. Allocate Funding for Grants to Community Based Organizations that do work in the following areas and which meet the following criteria: a. Grants must be a minimum of S65k - S75k to provide support for such services and programming. b. Prioritize organizations with an annual budget of less than I million annually, in order to build capacity among smaller organizations; youth who are difficult to reach or systems -impacted often trust these organizations more than some larger service providers, whom they may associate with the City c. Provide Mental Health Services for Trans/Queer and LGBTQ youth, for example from Alianza Translatinx, a trusted organization that provides such mental health services d. Re-entry programs and services for system impacted youth, for example Underground GRIT & Project Kinship, which provides holistic, integrated support and services to systems -impacted youth e. Provide counseling support and preventative services for youth for example Project Kinship, which provides support and resources for young people impacted by incarceration and violence through healing & transformation. 3. Allocate Increased Funding for Jobs for Youth Within City Government such as: a. Santa Ana Public Library Job Opportunities, such as receptionist positions, library aides b. Paid Youth City Internships in City departments, especially with the opportunity to develop STEM skills. c. Trade and Construction Jobs for local city projects, in partnership with entities that can provide training and support, such as Santa Ana College and Taller San Jose, and that can lead to long-term career opportunities. 4. Allocate Increased Funding for Youth Service Programs within areas in City Hall and not within the police department, such as that can provide young people with access to skill development, recreation, and housing. a. In partnership with Santa Ana Work Center; offer certification and training programs to train (system impacted) youth including providing opportunities to learn coding, receive job skills training, and have access to leadership development (geared up to the ages of 25) b. Cost-free sports programs and fitness centers c. Housing Assistance to Trans/Queer Youth d. Expanding hotspots for wifi for young people and more access to computers 5. Additionally, we ask that you give city staff direction to hold AT LEAST ONE youth specific, budget input session in partnership with community organizations. And that City Staff allow ample time for community feedback and suggested edits to any Surveys developed to assess residents' budget priorities. Context Youth Funding: Over the Fall, we held a series of focus groups in Santa Ana to hear from young people ages 14-25 about the youth services they need and current services they receive through their school, city, or community organizations. This was done in partnership with Latino Health Access, Project Kinship, Invest in Youth, Alianza Translatinx, and Santa Ana Youth Ballot. These focus groups revealed the following programs and services that young people want to see prioritized funding for the areas listed above. Lastly, youth expressed they felt uncomfortable with participating in programs & services by the police department due to their own experiences with police officers through the city and school. Programs and services outside the police department will attract and cater to youth who need these services the most and are often difficult to reach. Furthermore, at the February 15th, 2022 City Council Meeting, Members of the Council expressed a strong desire to continue improving safety by addressing root causes and investing in residents' material needs and well being. We believe that the recommendations outlined above achieve these goals by strengthening our city's nonprofit infrastructure to provide mental health services, counseling and preventative services, jobs, and recreational activities that provide positive outlets for young people to thrive. Context Police Oversight: Over the last two years, a majority of this Council has voiced support for the creation of a Police Oversight Board in Santa Ana, and has put the City on a path to establish such a Board by creating an Ad -Hoc Committee of the Council to draft and propose a Police Oversight policy to the full council. Any Police Oversight Board MUST be properly funded, and it is imperative that the Council include a funding allocation for Police Oversight in the first draft of the 2022-23 FY Budget. Notably, the City allocated $141,082,500, or 40%, of the 2021-22 Fiscal Year General Fund to the Santa Ana Police Department. Our estimated annual cost for an effective investigative -auditor model for police oversight is less than 2% of the annual Police Department budget. Allocating appropriate funding to police oversight will achieve the following: 1. Demonstrate that the Council is making headway in implementing a strong Police Oversight policy that enjoyed 74.3% support from Santa Ana residents in the city's 2021 Survey. 2. Ensure that a Police Oversight Body has funding from its inception and the resources to begin working for Santa Ana Residents, rather than requiring a mid -year budget reallocation in the future. Context on Budget Input Process: Over the last five years, young residents have been some of the most active participants in Santa Ana Budget conversations— delivering hundreds of letters, public comments, and phone calls to the Council. Organizations like Chispa and our partners have organized our own independent Budget forums for young residents. We believe it is imperative that the city commit resources and staff time to engage specifically with this active constituency, and host a minimum of one input session targeted to youth in Santa Ana. Re: Reallocation of Remaining MET Funds from the 2021-22 FY Budget Lastly, we ask the council to use the remaining MET funds from the 2021-22 FY into a Budget Community Intervention Workers program as an alternative to armed -police response. Thank you y �e� Hairo Cortes Executive Director Chispa Middleton, Samuel From: John Ramirez <jpramirez714@sbcglobal.net> Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2022 3:19 PM To: eComment Subject: Agenda Item 26 Please consider making a police oversight committee a high priority in the 2022-2023 city budget. Thank You. John Resident of Santa Ana 40+ years Ward 4