HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlease support these police reformsDear Mayor Harmon and members of the city council,
In light of the recent tragedies, and of the much longer history of police violence against black people in America, I urge you to adopt the following use-of-force police policies. According
the Campaign Zero site 8cantwait.org <http://8cantwait.org> , SLO has still not enacted these crucial policies:
* Ban Chokeholds and Strangleholds
* Require De-escalation
* Require Exhausting Other Means Before Shooting
* Ban Shooting at Moving Vehicles
* Have a Use of Force Continuum
* Require Comprehensive Reporting
The numbers show that police departments that have adopted these use of force policies kill significantly fewer people. We can’t wait any longer. For statistics and more information
on each policy, go to 8cantwait.org <http://8cantwait.org> .
Additionally, I encourage you to support any of the following policy solutions that you do not already:
1. End Broken Windows Policing <https://www.joincampaignzero.org/brokenwindows>
2. Community Oversight <https://www.joincampaignzero.org/oversight>
3. Limit Use of Force <https://www.joincampaignzero.org/force>
4. Independently Investigate & Prosecute <https://www.joincampaignzero.org/investigations>
5. Community Representation <https://www.joincampaignzero.org/representation>
6. Body Cams / Film the Police <https://www.joincampaignzero.org/film-the-police>
7. Training <https://www.joincampaignzero.org/train>
8. End For-Profit Policing <https://www.joincampaignzero.org/end-policing-for-profit>
9. Demilitarization <https://www.joincampaignzero.org/demilitarization>
10. Fair Police Union Contracts <https://www.joincampaignzero.org/contracts>
However, these changes are still not enough. For the long-term vitality of SLO, I urge you to:
* Support policies that reduce our reliance on law enforcement
* Move money from police departments into other area’s of the city’s budget that truly promote health and safety, such as...
* Community-led safety initiatives
* Violence prevention (in all its forms)
* Education
* Mental and physical health resources
* Mental health response teams that are trained to respond to mental health crises (instead of police)
* Affordable housing
* And so much more.
Thank you for taking the time to read this email, and for all that you do for our beautiful community.
With gratitude,
Kendall