pages: CityCouncil/2021-03-16.pdf, 16
This data as json
body | date | page | text | path |
---|---|---|---|---|
CityCouncil | 2021-03-16 | 16 | community responses in the survey included related asks; stated it is important for Council to consider how to work together with APD and other partners; many months have passed since the Mali Watkins incident and the time for specific action is now. Councilmember Knox White inquired whether members should go down the list to discuss matter by matter, to which Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft responded that she has tallied her list during public comment; stated many topics will give rise to discussion. Councilmember Daysog stated that he would like to add consideration of deploying the City Attorney's Office on the topic of not criminalizing poverty; stated many issues regarding criminalization of poverty occur at the prosecutorial stage; questioned whether the City Attorney's Office can be deployed to engage in matters which criminalize poverty, specific to non-moving, vehicular violations; noted oftentimes, non- moving vehicular violations are due in part to poverty and income status; stated there could be options for an Officer to provide the alternative to a fine or ticket should the violation be cleared within 90-days; many matters rest at the court-level. Councilmember Knox White stated expressed support for the Committees and staff; noted it is not easy to perform the requested tasks; comments provided trend toward systems and situations; the work being performed is appreciated; there is a problem with incarceration in the country; the problem is well documented; policy makers are the first step in the pipeline and should changes not be made, the problems will continue; there have been a number of anecdotes stating those with Black Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) friends will not visit Alameda; anecdotes are data; arrest and traffic citation data shows the backup for the anecdotal stories; Council needs to listen to the anecdotes and make changes; should changes not be made, there will be problems; changes have not yet been made since the Mali Watkins incident, which took place almost one year prior; challenged the City and APD to consider where to go from here; questioned whether the City will remain a place where community members consider anecdotes as loudmouths or will the City figure out how Alameda will no longer be a City where people are afraid to go; outlined former Police Chief actions on social media and a 1992 report on a problem, which required training; expressed support for training; stated training will not solve the issues being faced; expressed support for all proposed recommendations; stated a community committee is needed whose goal is to listen to all the people in the community and report back to the City; the committee can report back to the City Manager's Office and may begin to discuss a truth and reconciliation process for Alameda; expressed support for Council providing direction to stop using the City of Alameda's communication platform through the Police Department until a clear and defined communications strategy is in place; noted the current platform is misinforming the community; stated there have been posts related to APD not hiring staff, but those hired within the past six months have not been discussed; due to the lack of information related to hiring, the community is shown that APD is not hiring people; crime related ideas are being promoted even though crime rates are not elevating in all areas; expressed support for Universal Basic Income (UBI); stated the cause of violence is income inequality; no amount of policing will cause change; discussed A Peculiar Indifference novel by Elliot Currie; stated that he would Regular Meeting Alameda City Council 16 March 16, 2021 | CityCouncil/2021-03-16.pdf |