HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/1/2021 Item 6a, Mitchell
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Nora Mitchell <noramerriemitchell@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, June
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Nora's Public Comment Item 6a meeting 5/1/21
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Hello Council Members,
As a resident of SLO county, I am asking you, my elected officials, to re- evaluate your budgeting plans. We
need to divest from policing in a meaningful way. Union contract negotiations are happening now, it is not too
late to divest! More money for training will not solve any issues related to our police force. I believe we just
passed the anniversary of the tear gassing event. More recent events further show that funding the police will
not solve anything. Edward Zamora Giron had been facing mental health issues. A woman from his
apartment complex had tried to get the police to help him when in crisis multiple times. This information has
been denied and ignored by the police. If SLO county had better systems in place to help people like Edward,
and Mason James Lira, SLO county would be a much better place, and many lives would not have been lost
this year.
Currently police take up about 25% of our budget. Policing is reactionary, it cannot solve social problems. We
need to be making sure people's basic needs are met, before they become larger issues.
Please listen to your constituents,
Nora Mitchell
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