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SVCN Letter to CSJ re Reimagining Public Safety Community Advisory Committee Recommendations (5.10.22)
Alan Gouig < >
Mon 5/9/2022 1:08 PM
To: The Office of Mayor Sam Liccardo <[email protected]>;District1 <[email protected]>;District2 <[email protected]>;District3 <[email protected]>;District4 <[email protected]>;District5 <[email protected]>;District 6 <[email protected]>;District7 <[email protected]>;District8 <[email protected]>;District9 <[email protected]>;District 10 <[email protected]>;City Clerk <[email protected]> Cc: Reed, Jim <[email protected]>;Gomez, David <[email protected]>;Sandoval, Vanessa <[email protected]>;Ramos, Christina M <[email protected]>;Brown, Stacey <[email protected]>;Arreola, Kiara <[email protected]>;Groen, Mary Anne <[email protected]>;Kaspar, Nick <[email protected]>;Le, Nancy <[email protected]>;Hughes, Scott <[email protected]>;Quevedo, Matthew <[email protected]>;Kyra Kazantzis < >;Nick Kuwada < >;Claire Kennedy < >;Maguire, Jennifer <[email protected]>;Flores Shelton, Andrea <[email protected]>;Cicirelli, Jon <[email protected]>;Rios, Angel <[email protected]>;Wilcox, Leland <[email protected]>;Hamilton, Peter <[email protected]> 1 attachments (107 KB)
Letter fr SVCN to San Jose City Council 2022.05.09.pdf;
Dear Mayor Liccardo and City Councilmembers,
I write to you on behalf of the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits (SVCN), an alliance of community-based organiza ons working to support thriving and equitable communi es in Santa Clara County.
Please find a ached a le er regarding Item 4.2, Report of the Reimagining Public Safety Community Advisory Commi ee and Charter Review Commission Public Safety Recommenda ons. Thank you for your a en on.
Best,
Alan
Alan Gouig | Policy & Advocacy Associate | he/him/his
Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits
Phone: | Web: svcn.org| Twi er: @SVCN
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5/9/22, 2:10 PM Mail - Agendadesk - Outlook
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May 9, 2022
San José City Council
San José City Hall
200 E. Santa Clara St.
San José, CA 95113
Sent via electronic mail
Re: Support for Reimagining Public Safety Community Advisory Committee’s Recommendations
Dear Mayor Liccardo and Members of the City Council:
I write to you on behalf of the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits (SVCN), an alliance of community-based organizations working to support thriving and equitable communities in Santa Clara County. Among SVCN’s 2022 Board-adopted Policy Priorities Areas is a “Prevention and Intervention Priority Area” that encourages local governments to redirect funds currently spent on policing and the carceral system and reinvest them in behavioral health services, substance abuse treatment, housing, free community college, job training, health care access and universal basic income. Further, this priority area calls on local governments to increase coordinated, community-based, holistic care and services, including pretrial release and diversion programs and explore justice-oriented solutions like victim-centered restorative justice programs, rehabilitation and work-release programs, fines and de-criminalizing poverty.
In alignment with our Prevention and Intervention Priority Area, SVCN stands in strong support of the recommendations advanced in the Reimagining Public Safety Community Advisory Committee’s April 2022 report. In addition to the recommendations of the report, SVCN urges the City of San José to increase its investment in prevention and intervention programming; Mayor Liccardo rightly spoke to the need to increase prevention and intervention efforts at a recent Rules meeting. For example, doubling the City’s investment in BEST services in Fiscal Year 2023 would be a good start.
We urge the City Council to accept this report, add resources to the budget to implement the highest priority recommendations, and make a longer-term plan to implement the rest.
Regards,
Kyra Kazantzis, CEO
AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SERVICE AGENCYSTRENGTH IN UNITY – SINCE 1978HEADQUARTERS: 304 N. 6 TH
STREET | SAN JOSE, CA 95112OFFICE: 408.292.3157 | FAX: 408.292.3276WEBSITE:http://www.sjaacsa.org| EMAIL:[email protected] May 10th, 2022
Mayor and City CouncilCity of San Jose200 East Santa Clara Street, 18th FloorSan Jose, CA 95113 Re: Item 4.2 Report of the Reimagining Public Safety Advisory Committee and Charter ReviewCommission Recommendations Greetings Mayor Liccardo and City Councilmembers,
The African American Community Service Agency (AACSA) writes in support of the recommendationsfrom the Reimagining Public Safety Advisory Committee. The members of this committee have diligentlyresearched and worked on alternatives that can tremendously improve how residents feel about theirsafety in the City of San Jose, so we encourage you to give these recommendations strong considerationsbecause they can benefit so many people .
In addition, we support the Charter Review Commission’s recommendation for a Police Commission, anIndependent Investigation Department, and an Office of the Inspector General for it relates to some of therecommendations from the Reimagining Public Safety Advisory Committee. This recommendation hasgarnered so much support since introduced at the CRC and now is the time to strongly consider it.
Throughout the many months of these ongoing meetings, AACSA also held discussions with ourcommunity. We had conversations with those who are impacted by police to hear their thoughts on howthey feel about their safety and what needed to be changed. We also invited SJPD Chief of PoliceAnthony Mata and others to speak to our community and hear their thoughts. It is important to understandthat our community members desire alternatives to the current structures in place and we want to feel as ifwe are heard.
We are grateful for the implementation of the Reimagining Public Safety Advisory Committee andCharter Review Commission, and we hope you hear our communities’ desire for change.
Strength in Unity,
Milan R. Balinton Lavere FosterExecutive Director Associate DirectorAfrican American Community Service Agency African American Community Service Agency
May 10, 2022
Mayor & City CouncilCity of San José200 East Santa Clara Street, 18th FloorSan José, CA 95113Sent via electronic mail Re: Reimagining Public Safety Community Advisory Committee Recommendations Dear Mayor Liccardo & City Councilmembers,
As leaders of community-based organizations and members of the Race Equity Action Leadership (REAL) Coalition, we,the undersigned, firmly stand behind the recommendations outlined by the Reimagining Public Safety (RiPS) CommunityAdvisory Committee Report.The REAL Coalition is broadlyrepresentative of the nonprofit community, andassuch, weunderstand the implications that the recommendations brought forth by RiPS will have in our community.
The RiPS process was initiated in response to the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police Officer DerekChauvin. Our community also grapples with significant challenges of disproportionate impact on Black and Brown SanJosé residents by our current law enforcement practices and priorities. RiPS was designed to center the voices of thoseimpacted by these practices and sought to lay a foundation to reimagine how we approach public safety.
The report poses the question:“Are there more effective, efficient, and equitable strategies that can be deployed to address emergent crises andpromote better social conditions that can make our community safer?” The recommendations acknowledge that the police should not have to respond to every social challenge we face. It’scommon sense that we should send the right expert to the right problem. Other professionals may be better equipped toaddress issues of mental health or substance abuse, homelessness or gender-based violence.Moreover,investments inaddressing the root causes of crime means we can prevent wrongdoing, not punish it after it happens.
The report recognizes the role of police in addressing serious criminal issues, but also the need to strengthen hiring,training, policies, and oversight of law enforcement.
It is paramount that we all, as leaders, acknowledge and reevaluate what we expect of police. We stand for commonsense solutions like those proposed by the advisory committee. Therefore we urge the Council to direct CityAdministration to work with community-based partners to further develop and implement these recommendations.
Sincerely,
Poncho Guevara, Sacred Heart Community ServiceLavere Foster, African American Community Service AgencyAlmaz Negash, African Diaspora NetworkMaritza Maldonado, Amigos de Guadalupe & Sí Se Puede CollectiveSarita Kohli, Asian Americans for Community InvolvementRichard Konda, Asian Law Alliance Elisa Koff-Ginsborg, Behavioral Health Contractors' Association (BHCA)Sparky Harlan, Bill Wilson CenterJahmal Williams, Black Leadership Kitchen CabinetGregory R. Kepferle, Catholic Charities of Santa Clara CountyErin O'Brien, Community SolutionsJennifer Loving, Destination: HomePete Settelmayer, Downtown College PrepShawn Gerth, Educare California Silicon ValleyBeth Leary, Family Supportive HousingSusie Rivera, Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY)Reymundo C. Espinoza, Gardner Health ServicesVeronica Goei, Grail Family Services, Sí Se Puede CollectiveKiana Simmons, HERO TentRichard Hobbs, Human AgendaLaurie Valdez, Justice4Josiah.orgAlison Brunner, Law Foundation of Silicon ValleyGabriel Young, LEAD FilipinoQuency L. Phillips, Lighthouse Building Back BetterGisela B. Bushey, Loaves & Fishes Family KitchenAnjee Helstrup-Alvarez, MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino AmericanaRev. Steven Pinkston, Maranatha Christian CenterHector Sánchez-Flores, national compadres networkEllina Yin, Only in San JoséEva M. Terrazas, Pacific ClinicsMaria Daane, Parents Helping ParentsHeather Cleary, Peninsula Family ServiceRev. Ray F. Montgomery, People Acting in Community TogetherProject Sentinel, Project SentinelDontae Lartigue, Razing the BarKathy Cordova, Recovery Cafe San JoseKelsey Ichikawa, San Jose Nikkei ResistersWisa Uemura, San Jose TaikoCarlos Rosario, Santa Clara County Black Lawyers AssociationVanessa Shieh & Jessica Paz-Cedillos, School of Arts & Culture & Sí Se Puede CollectiveShiloh Ballard, Silicon Valley Bicycle CoalitionKyra Kazantsis, Silicon Valley Council of NonprofitsVictor Vasquez & Saul Ramos, SOMOS Mayfair & Sí Se Puede CollectiveRegina Celestin Williams, Silicon Valley@HomeCayce Hill, Veggielution, Sí Se Puede CollectiveKylie Clark, West Valley Community ServicesLeif Erickson, Youth Community Service