HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/16/2020 Item Amendment A, Zamek
Clerk, Intern
From:Ayelet Zamek <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Public Comment -- City Council Meeting (06/16), Agenda Item Amendment A
My name is Ayelet Zamek, and I am a resident and registered voter of the City of San Luis Obispo.
I appreciate the discussion about SLOPD policies with respect to the 8cantwait campaign. However, 8cantwait is not the
be-all end-all of what can be done to make San Luis Obispo a better community. Police are being called to handle
situations, especially those involving people experiencing homelessness and/or mental health challenges, that would be
better handled by social workers or other professionals. For example, last summer, I saw a SLOPD officer pour out a
bottle of alcohol belonging to a homeless person into the street. While this interaction, as far as I saw, was nonviolent, it
was dehumanizing and provided no help to the homeless person. Some of the most frequently arrested people in the
County are homeless people, many with mental health challenges. Rather than focusing just on police policies and
channeling funding for reforms to the police department, we should put funding towards social and community services
to resolve the issues the police cannot. The new $140,000 of new funding towards programs to support diversity, equity,
and inclusion programs in the budget is a good start. I look forward to seeing what specific actions will be taken using
this money.
Secondly, I am disappointed by Chief Cantrell's response to the request by Black leadership in the community to commit
that "no tear gas, rubber bullets, flash grenades, pepper spray or other violent tactics will be used against protestors."
On June 1st, the SLOPD decided to end a day of peaceful protest by using tear gas, rubber bullets, and firecrackers
against protestors. This is wrong. This makes people unsafe, not protests. This use of force against members of the
community who are only expressing their civil rights should not be allowed.
Thank you,
Ayelet Zamek
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