NB-42 Correspondence – Kailee Caruso
From: Kailee Caruso <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 8, 2023 2:58 PM
To: Mayor <[email protected]>; Council District 1 <[email protected]>; Council District 2 <[email protected]>; Council District 3 <[email protected]>; Council District 4 <[email protected]>; Council District 5 <[email protected]>; Council District 6 <[email protected]>; Council District 7 <[email protected]>; Council District 8 <[email protected]>; Council District 9 <[email protected]>; Paul Duncan <[email protected]>; CityClerk <[email protected]>; City Manager <[email protected]>; Prosecutor <[email protected]> Subject: This is About True Safety Not Homelessness (NB-25)
-EXTERNAL-
Hello Mayor, City Council Members, City Leadership, and Staff,
All of Long Beach wants safety and deserves to be safe. The root cause of this conversation is about safety, not the homeless. We can not create policy that centers majority white anger, discomfort or NIMBY mentality and acting like this is not going to criminalize and harm our most vulnerable in Long Beach. We need policy that centers our most vulnerable, prevention, trauma informed and harm reduction data backed solutions, and equity. It is just that simple. If not then we are failing all of Long Beach. When our most vulnerable are safe then we all are. We can not be a city that talks about equity but does not walk the walk even when it's complex or involves difficult conversations. From a fiscally responsible policy perspective it will cost us more money and not create solutions to our homeless challenge. We will open the city to lawsuits.
Lets have community meetings and forums on defining as a whole city what safety means to us. Then we have a clear idea and definition moving forward to create true safety in Long Beach. I support hard conversations. Speaking of safety and hard conversations, if that is what our residents are screaming for then why are we spending over half our budget on the police? How is that working out? Residents from district 3 call them and they refuse to come if they can not arrest or investigate. Their role is to protect and serve. They say their hands are tied. It isn't a short staff issue this is a reflection of an over reliance on failed public safety policy. No matter how many more police we hire in ten years, if we don't meet these challenges at a systemic level we will be in an even worse position. We do not have a public safety system, we have a crime response system. This moment requires true bravery and courage. Not to succumb to what history has shown us doesn't solve homelessness or create true safety for all. This is not a time for status quo, racist, and harmful policy. This is a time to stand alone if that is what it takes to reimagine and support equitable data-backed safety and homeless solutions for the present and future. For Long Beach to be the model city to all neighboring cities. For each of your legacies to be honorable.
Lastly, I understand why Councilwoman Zendejas signed on to this difficult conversation. Her district has been ignored for too long by city leadership and faced severe challenges with violence, crime and homelessness. Our city leadership has allowed it to happen in districts predominately Black, Brown and people of color but when it happens in district 3 majority white people, then it matters. Does this reflect your values? Are we talking about equity at every stop but perpetuating racism? If that's the case then we are failing district one and we will fail other districts as well. This is the time to step up and vote in line with the values for all of Long Beach to have true safety.
In Community,
Kailee Caruso, MPA
Senior Analyst, LA County CEO Homeless Initiative and Affordable Housing Elected CA Delegate Assembly District 69
Resident of District 3
Mother
Trained Trauma Informed Mental Health Worker
Former City Council Candidate for District 3
Co-Founder of DEI Committee at Lowell Elementary 2018
Community Organizer