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CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf,1 | CityCouncil | 2020-06-17 | 1 | MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL WEDNESDAY- - -JUNE 17, 2020- 5:30 P.M. Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft convened the meeting at 5:33 p.m. and led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL - Present: Councilmember Daysog, Knox White, Oddie, Vella and Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft - 5. [The meeting was conducted via Zoom.] Absent: None. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA None. AGENDA ITEM (20-437) Recommendation that the City Council: (A) Authorize the Mayor to Sign-On to Former President Obama's Pledge to Introduce Common-Sense Limits on Police Use of Force; (B) Authorize the City Manager, in Partnership with the Chief of Police, to Evaluate and Update Alameda Police Department Policies Related to the "8 Can't Wait" Initiative. The Assistant City Manager gave a brief presentation. Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated Council is not restrained to the two recommendations; Council has the option to direct staff to approach the topic differently; inquired whether Council should waive the nine minute speaking limit. *** (20-438) Councilmember Oddie moved approval of suspending the nine minute Council speaking time limit. Vice Mayor Knox White seconded the motion, which carried by the following roll call vote: Councilmembers Daysog: Aye; Knox White: Aye; Oddie: Aye; Vella: Aye; and Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft: Aye. Ayes: 5. Vice Mayor Knox White inquired the difference between areas which have a specific policy and others which have procedures or training requirements. The Assistant City Manager responded the policy is the over-arching sentiment and objective for the action being carried out and the procedure is more specific to how the action is performed; stated staff can potentially be held to both the policy and procedure. Special Meeting Alameda City Council 1 June 17, 2020 | CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf |
CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf,2 | CityCouncil | 2020-06-17 | 2 | The Police Chief stated discipline is the likely outcome to policy violations via internal investigations; procedures indicate how the policy is followed and minor violations are typically not disciplined outside of counselling sessions. Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft requested clarification of a procedural violation. The Police Chief stated a radio protocol or a traffic stop which does not follow the standard procedure are procedural violations; noted traffic stop locations must be broadcast for tracking purposes. In response to Councilmember Oddie's inquiry regarding omitting community input, the Assistant City Manager stated the Mayor's Pledge includes all four steps and any steps or community involvement was not meant to be left out. Councilmember Oddie expressed support for clarity on the Council's position on the eight uses. The Police Chief stated that he has not looked at the Campaign Zero website; noted Campaign Zero and "8 Can't Wait" are linked and have the eight policies in common; stated both sites have alignment on two of the eight policies; Alameda is in alignment with as many as six of the policies; however, semantics or terminology could explain the discrepancies; there are a couple of policies not in alignment for Alameda. Councilmember Oddie stated it should be noted the City has already banned chokeholds. The Police Chief stated there is a submission page for "8 Can't Wait" for a review of policies; noted a submission has been made by staff, but response is likely delayed. In response to Councilmember Oddie's inquiry, the Police Chief stated the Department has not had an Officer-involved shooting since 2005; verbal is not considered a use of force nor is a control-hold such as putting on handcuffs; a punch, kick or use of a body part is considered a use of force as well as the use of pepper spray, tasers, firearms, canines, the carotid restraint, and any result of pain or alleged use of force. Councilmember Oddie inquired whether the ban on shooting at a moving vehicle is binary or pass/fail. The Police … | CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf |
CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf,3 | CityCouncil | 2020-06-17 | 3 | Councilmember Vella inquired who will be conducting review, to which the Assistant City Manager responded who will complete the work has not been indicated; noted the answer will be made by the end of the meeting. Councilmember Vella inquired whether Council is being requested to provide instruction based on how the review will be performed and by whom. The Assistant City Manager responded in the affirmative; stated staff will take direction and ensure the direction fits will all other tasks to be completed. Councilmember Vella stated the agenda for the meeting caused confusion; noted the scope of Council conversation was not made clear; inquired the topics being discussed; stated the Pledge involves many aspects and causes difficulty in understanding discussion parameters. The Chief Assistant City Attorney stated the agenda title provides Council a great deal of discretion in what can be discussed; the issues are wide-ranging and can be discussed; the second portion of the City Manager working on policy with the Police Chief allows for a broad topic discussion and discretion. Councilmember Vella inquired whether the Department has made its own policy changes and the difference in effects between Council banning something versus a change in policy. The Police Chief responded the Department subscribes to a policy manual called Lexipol; stated Lexipol produces policies based on federal and State law and best practices; noted policy updates are due to changes in State or federal law or changes to best practices; stated Lexipol provides notification of changes; any changes to best practices are able to be somewhat customized; the majority of updates are due to State and federal law updates; initial reviews to updates are performed by staff and a decision is made to update, leave as-is or modify for best practices; when an update is complete, the update is put out to Officers via e-mail for review and acknowledgement. Councilmember Vella inquired the difference between an inter-department policy versus Council declari… | CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf |
CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf,4 | CityCouncil | 2020-06-17 | 4 | The Chief Assistant City Attorney stated some items are being dictated by law and are not recommended to be eliminated; staff is looking to Council and the community for direction on best practices. Discussed his experience as a business owner in Alameda; expressed concern about false reports and lack of response; stated transparency and accountability is needed; stated keeping body cameras on at all times allows public visibility which exists in other forms of government: Ben Calica, Alameda. Discussed a previous Town Hall led by Vice Mayor Knox White; stated the "8 Can't Wait" program promises a 72% reduction in deaths caused by Police which is not good enough; reducing Police roles and redirecting resources will bring community safety; inquired the Council vision to bring the program to 100% reduction: Amanda Cooper, Alameda. Inquired the responsibility of the Alameda Police Chief in communicating Lexipol State and federal policy changes to the Council and the community; noted APD policies were changed without public input, knowledge, or Council approval; expressed support for discussing the "and" process versus "either or;" urged Council to think about switching to "and": Shalom Bruhn, Alameda. Inquired about policy changes related to Lexipol; expressed support for automatic State and federal updates; inquired the accountability of the Police Chief related to communicating changes and updates to Council and the community and where the community can review policy changes: Amos White, Alameda. Discussed review and oversight about the recent incident with Mr. Watkins; urged Council to not use the Attorney General (AG) for the process; stated the AG office defends criminal judgements and is part of mass incarcerations; urged Council to look for a civilian body or Police Oversight Commission to review current events and policies: Jono Soglin, Alameda. Stated "8 Can't Wait" is not enough; noted many cities which have implemented "8 Can't Wait" still have experienced killings; Police are protected over people; the C… | CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf |
CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf,5 | CityCouncil | 2020-06-17 | 5 | Police Department: Katherine Schwartz, Alameda Family Services. Expressed support for Police Officers; expressed concern about a poor record of communicating what is being done by the Police Department; stated recommendations should be provided by people other than within the Police Department to retain the absence of bias: Jay Garfinkle, Alameda. Stated defunding the Police means refocusing the City in a way that is beneficial to both the community and the Police Department; outlined salaries in the Police Department; urged Council to re-focus how business is conducted; discussed experiences with APD: Evan Schwartz, Alameda. Discussed the "8 Can't Wait" initiative and racism on the Island; expressed support for defunding the Police Department; stated the "8 Can't Wait" initiative does not go far enough; passing measures will do nothing to prevent Police killings and violence; outlined the effects of banning the use of chokeholds and a duty to intervene; urged Council to move forward with the "8 to Abolition" initiative: Riley Brann, Alameda. Urged Council to consider dealing with racial bias, accountability and consequences for policy violations; expressed support for funding being dispersed from Police to community resources, social work and mental health; urged Council consider alternative solutions for Police patrolling: Jyosna Jaslow, Encinal High School. Expressed support for the "8 Can't Wait" initiative; stated the initiative is a nice gesture or symbolic statement; the policies may not help incidents from happening again; "8 Can't Wait" focuses on use of force; urged Council to think more broadly about how to prevent incidents from happening again and reconsider sending Police out on mental welfare checks; stated residents of Alameda should be discouraged from making such calls: Theresa Rife, Alameda. Stated the "8 Can't Wait" initiative is an over-simplified solution that does not address systemic causes, and excludes community demands and input from Black and Brown impacted people; expressed support fo… | CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf |
CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf,6 | CityCouncil | 2020-06-17 | 6 | back in place until another system can be put in place: Sandy Russell, West Alameda Business Association. Expressed support for the "8 Can't Wait" initiative; urged an increase in accountability for the Police; discussed the actions caught on camera May 23rd; stated the actions are unacceptable; the Officers involved must be fired immediately; expressed concern about the Officers still being employed; urged Council to divert funding away from the Police into social services; expressed concern for ease of changes to Police policy: Jeff Lewis, Alameda. Read a statement of resolution from the Alameda Justice Alliance (AJA); urged Council to seek to ensure all people are welcome and respected regardless of race in the City of Alameda and for Council and the City Manager to release the Police Chief from duties: Jeanne Nader, AJA. Discussed experiences as an Alameda resident and with APD; stated Alameda has a reputation of racial profiling and assault; urged Council to terminate the Police Chief; expressed support for citizen oversight, reducing and reallocating the APD budget, demilitarization of the Police, a data driven and independent review process and a Chief Medical Officer role; stated a focus on changing systems is needed: Seth Marbin, Alameda. Discussed her experience as an educator; urged Council to develop plans to prevent crimes and plans for de-escalation; noted no crime occurred related to the incident on May 23rd; stated review after incidents occur is needed to ensure results improve; expressed support for streets being physically and emotionally safe: Michele Pryor, Alameda. Stated the "8 Can't Wait" initiative does not go far enough but is a good first step; APD's use of force is limited and is a small part of the problem; urged Council to look at bias and the role of Police in the community; stated there is a disproportionate number of people of color experiencing arrests, traffic stops, and use of force: Michele Elson, Alameda. Stated there is importance in the relationships the Police have with th… | CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf |
CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf,7 | CityCouncil | 2020-06-17 | 7 | lot of problems and violence; expressed concern about the items being prevented being invisible and not considered; urged Council to consider the possibility and move forward with precision rather than large sweeping changes: Breann Sengstock, Alameda. Discussed a school shooting and Police in schools; urged Council to fire and rehire Officers with strict training; stated defunding Police does not mean abolishing; urged Council to sell the vehicles the Police have, lay off over half of the APD Officers, and provide the remaining Officers bicycles: Geronimo Coffin, Lincoln Middle School. Expressed support for local advocates; urged Council to defund the Police Department and provide prevention interventions for traffic safety; stated enforcement has never been a priority for her organization and is not an effective way to improve safety in the community; expressed support for systemic safety; stated policing is violent and unsafe and should be less present in the community: Susie Hufstader, Alameda. Stated that she did not know Alameda had an armored vehicle; expressed support for removing all military-style equipment; expressed concern about the possible use of tear gas; stated Alamedans are not enemy combatants; stated the "8 Can't Wait" initiative policies are not enough: E Patterson, Alameda. Expressed support for removing Police from Alameda schools, armored vehicles, semi- automatic weapons, ride shields and tear gas; urged Council to follow San Francisco's lead of sending social service and non-Police to non-violent calls, to remove the ability for weaponization; expressed support for disciplinary histories not being purged to allow for transparent records: Steve Burt, Alameda. Discussed the circumstances when use of force is permitted; stated use of force situations involve the issue of compliance; there is room for discussion for improving the way the Police Department works; noted that he has never witnessed an APD Officer do anything immoral, illegal or based off a protected class status: Jason Horvath,… | CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf |
CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf,8 | CityCouncil | 2020-06-17 | 8 | Discussed an incident from 2008; stated an Officer from the incident is employed with APD as a Captain: Sam Kevy, Alameda. Stated "8 Can't Wait" does not go far enough and is a band aid for an issue that does not hold people accountable; expressed support for a 60 to 80% cut to the Police budget; expressed concern about the response from the Police Chief; expressed support for the removal of the Police Chief; inquired the reason for APD to have an armored vehicle: Janice Anderson, Alameda. Urged Council to consider the "8 Can't Wait" initiative as the bare minimum to be done as a start to a goal in rethinking community policing and to call for the dismissal of the Police Chief; stated APD needs a new direction, philosophy and new leadership: Ezra Denney, Alameda. Discussed experiences working in dispatch; stated there is a difference between wants and needs; noted the armored vehicle assisted the City of Oakland with riots; stated calls received are racially fueled; stated more education is needed: Keisha Brooks, APD Dispatcher. Expressed support for Alamedans and people of color having a voice and for a citizen's oversight commission; stated the commission would allow for citizen review of the APD budget, training process, and policies to ensure a safer environment for everyone; a Chief Public Health Official should be in charge of the commission; urged Council to focus on demilitarization and reduction of the APD budget: Anisya Lustig-Ellison, Alameda. Stated Alameda is one of the most segregated communities in the Bay Area; the contracts with APD are at the expense of the community; noted Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) employees have been paid the lowest in the County for decades; the money contracted with APD would be more useful directed towards counselling, after- school programs, restorative justice programs, and technology for students; Officers in schools perpetuate the school-to-prison pipeline: James Burgquist, Alameda. Stated "8 Can't Wait" is not a good idea and not enough; expressed support … | CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf |
CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf,9 | CityCouncil | 2020-06-17 | 9 | Stated reforms are not strong enough incentive to end Police brutality; noted new rules without increased accountability are only guidelines; stated with no long-term consequences, there is little trust that the behavior or culture will improve; urged Council not to stop and consider taking on larger, more difficult approaches: Maggie Jacobs, Alameda. Expressed support for Alameda continuing down a path of change and reform; expressed support for changes to Police training, "8 Can't Wait," additional changes tied to use of City funds for alternate support services, and supportive services being led by a Chief Preventive Medicine Officer: Karya Lustig, Alameda. Urged Council to release the names and identities of the Officers involved in the arrest of Mr. Watkins; inquired the reason de-escalation was needed for the interaction with Mr. Watkins: Anonymous text message. Urged Council to visit stoabolition.com, to listen to the Black Lives Matter movement, to defund the Police, demilitarize communities, to remove Police from schools, free people from jails and prisons, to repeal laws that criminalize survival, to invest in community self-governance, to provide safe housing for all and to invest in care not cops: Anonymous text message. Stated the "8 Can't Wait" policy does not address Police brutality as a systemic problem; urged Council to defund APD and reinvest in community-based alternatives; stated investment in public safety means a commitment to uprooting the Police; noted the goal is to decrease contact between Police and community members: Anonymous text message. Urged Council to adopt the "8 to Abolition" initiative, to defund the Police, to demilitarize communities, to remove Police from schools, to free people from prisons and jails, to repeal laws that criminalize survival, to invest in community self-governance, to provide safe housing and to invest in care not cops: Emma Freeman, Alameda. Stated the "8 Can't Wait" initiative is insufficient; urged Council to look at "8 to Abolition;" stated reforms ha… | CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf |
CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf,10 | CityCouncil | 2020-06-17 | 10 | to establish resources to address broader issues: April Madison-Ramsey, Alameda. Discussed experiences as an African-American living in Alameda; questioned when the hatred will end; expressed support for staff recommendations and offered additional suggestions: Karen Bey, Alameda. Expressed support for the "8 to Abolition" initiative; stated the "8 Can't Wait" policies are performative recognition of existing policies and have failed; urged Council support the "8 to Abolition" steps: Andrew Acosta, Alameda. Urged Council to reject the "8 Can't Wait" proposal in favor of defunding and abolishing APD; expressed support for funds being reinvested into Alameda's Black residents and community care programs; stated reforms only reinforce an obsession with policing and incremental reforms are not working: Janet Chen, Alameda. Inquired the process to initiate discussion about creating a program similar to Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets (CAHOOTS): Rob Dekker, Alameda. Inquired the realistic, legal and fair time-frame to reduce the number of Police Officers in order to redirect funds to other programs; stated proper notice is important: Amy Little, Alameda. Urged Council to make a commitment to the immediate formation of a Police Oversight Committee comprised of diverse community members, to make a commitment to anti- bias training for all Police Officers, to remove Police Officers from public schools, and to address the timeline for adopting Campaign Zero and "8 Can't Wait" policies: Celina Kamler, Alameda. Stated the "8 Can't Wait" initiative is good, but not enough; the solution is to defund the Police; discussed the two current emergencies: COVID-19 and systemic racism; urged Council to cut the Police budget and allocate the funds to social service and community based programs: Jade Aganus, Alameda. Stated organizations have highlighted the problems and inadequacies with the "8 Can't Wait" initiative; inquired how Council will take steps to redirect funding from APD, how the Officers involved in the arres… | CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf |
CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf,11 | CityCouncil | 2020-06-17 | 11 | Stated the issue is complicated and deserves both sides to weigh-in; inquired the application and recruitment process for APD; urged APD Officers to realize that Black citizens in the community want to ensure they go home safely: Laura Fries, Alameda. Stated many citizens in Alameda overuse and abuse 9-1-1, nonemergency and Police services; discussed experience as an APD Dispatcher and the arrest of Mr. Watkins; urged Council to hold constituents accountable: Whitney Moon, APD Dispatcher. Discussed experience as a native Alamedan being known to APD; stated stronger community support would make a difference; urged Council to utilize funding to engage, enhance, enlighten and educate versus criminalizing the community: Lytia Zazzeron, Alameda. Stated there are too many options without facts; outlined mass shootings and the need for an armored vehicle; noted AUSD does not fall under the City budget; encouraged an understanding of and education on how APD policies are implemented; stated APD is no longer in schools: Michaelia Parker, APD Crime Technician. Stated community education is critical; community members demand service; citizens need to be re-educated as a collaborative effort: Anonymous text message. Expressed support for financially disinvesting from Police and using the money to implement policies which help residents; stated residents have been harassed by APD; urged Council put funding into education, public health, and financial assistance for homeless and unemployed residents: Carlos Williams-Moreiras, Alameda. Expressed support for the Police Chief remaining employed; stated defunding or abolishing the Police will not make the community safer: Desiree' Abbott, Alameda. Discussed experience with APD as part of a mental health call; noted the presence of armed Police Officers did not help; stated mental health calls and other non-violent calls would be better suited for someone with extensive mental health or counselling training; urged Council consider language interpretation issues: Michelle Tran, Alam… | CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf |
CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf,12 | CityCouncil | 2020-06-17 | 12 | Discussed the Council meeting on June 16th; inquired whether Council will listen to Alameda residents; urged Council to change tack to follow the "8 to Abolition" guidelines, to refuse negotiations with Police unions and to do better: Erin Fraser, Alameda. Stated the meeting should be fully accessible; expressed support for a City Instagram page being a priority; noted "8 Can't Wait" is ill-researched and has not proven to be effective; urged Council to take bigger steps and learn from San Francisco, Minneapolis and other cities that have committed to divestment: Amy Chu, Alameda. Stated Police violence is a public health problem and should be addressed on a systemic level; expressed support for defunding the Police, redirecting funds to mental health, health and child care, and preventative programs and a diverse Citizens Oversight Commission: Jyothi Marbin, Alameda. Councilmember Vella requested clarification of actions taken at the June 16th Council meeting. Councilmember Oddie expressed support for the City Manager providing clarification. The City Manager stated a special Council meeting will be called before June 30th to continue discussions. The City Clerk stated the special Council meeting has been scheduled for Monday, June 29th at 5:30 p.m. The City Manager stated Council will hold special meetings as needed and work through the August break to facilitate the process for transforming how the City provides community services, responses, and law enforcement; staff will return to Council with a proposal for changing any response protocols for Alameda Police, including any changes that have been announced this month or the previous months of 2020; all policing policy changes will be brought to Council for approval before implementation; instances of change to State and federal law or Courts ruling of required changes, can be brought to the next Council meeting for ratification; the 2020-2021 budget has been passed with the following conditions: hold current vacancies in APD until the October 2020 budget mee… | CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf |
CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf,13 | CityCouncil | 2020-06-17 | 13 | *** Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft called a recess to the meeting at 8:23 p.m. and reconvened the meeting at 8:40 p.m. *** Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated people need to talk to each other and listen; there have been recent moving demonstrations; outlined emotional comments related to racial prejudice and a conversation with the President of the Alameda Police Officer's Association; expressed support for convening a facilitated forum for Police Officers to hear experiences; stated that she has requested Robbie Williams help in finding youth leaders; noted Regina Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of the East Oakland Youth Development Center and President of the Oakland Police Commission and Reverend Jaqueline Thompson, Senior Pastor, Allen Temple Baptist Church, Oakland helped facilitate the forum; stated the Police Chief and three Officers attended the forum; stated youth members want to be involved and share views; outlined the forum proceedings and youth experiences with Police Officers; stated recurring themes of the forum were related to knowing the community; the concept of community policing is not just being present while in uniform; expressed support for a Police Athletic League; stated youth leaders provided suggestions involving psychological evaluations for Police Officers, ideas of power, attitude and disdain; Councilmembers remain fair in protecting all members of the community; there is a need for mental health screenings during the course of a career, not just initially; APD should offer courses on civil rights and race relations; Officers should show up not just in bad times, but in good times as well; people need to act with intentionality; it is important for Police to know the history of race relations in the community where employed; Police need more training and mental health resources; a lot is asked of Officers and some tasks would be better suited by others; expressed support for looking into the CAHOOTS program and for implicit bias training; stated people are afraid of being in the presence of Officers; … | CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf |
CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf,14 | CityCouncil | 2020-06-17 | 14 | review of Police policies is being conducted; upcoming meetings will allow for engaging the community by including diverse range of input, experiences, and stories in reviews; a report of the findings of the review to the community in seeking feedback needs to be done on a parallel track; reforming the Police use of force policies is also needed; review of the policies will not be a totality of the change desired; five areas have been identified as big picture areas for Council to review: 1) unbundling and reimagining policing, 2) racism; racism extends well beyond the Police Department and should be looked at as part of hiring and Dispatch practices; conversations of anti-racism must be held, 3) policing policy review; the review includes demilitarization and use of force; noted a process for community feedback is needed, 4) oversight and accountability; questioned whether the oversight should be short-term, use an ad-hoc committee, and who serves on the oversight and accountability capacity, 5) reviewing the laws which criminalize survival; stated Council needs to properly prioritize enforcement; expressed support for the San Francisco model. Councilmember Vella also moved approval of adopting the "8 Can't Wait" initiative. Councilmember Vella stated many calls have noted there is support for "8 to Abolish" versus "8 Can't Wait" which is not enough; concurred the "8 Can't Wait" initiative is not enough; stated the initiative is part of a larger framework in the use of force discussion; policies must be adopted; any policy changes must come before Council for discussion; noted there is concern for shooting at moving vehicles; stated APD has not encountered the scenario; expressed support for looking at alternatives to responses; questioned whether other options or tools are available to help stop a car; expressed support for a review of the City's 5150 policy; stated better solutions are needed to help seniors with memory issues and persons with developmental disabilities; expressed support for contracting with … | CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf |
CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf,15 | CityCouncil | 2020-06-17 | 15 | members and Councils have provided the current Police force and budget structure; an alternative is being requested and recognized; all must take part in the responsibility; expressed support for the directions being implemented; expressed concern about comments directed at his colleagues; stated Council agrees on the need for change; read a passage from a 4th Circuit Judge; stated more recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement is needed as well as the physical and mental decision-making skills needed by Officers each day; training can help create good decisions; noted Alameda is in the top ranking of Police score cards, but yielded a "C" grade, which should be improved; stated half of the people being arrested represent one fifth of the population; the approach to policing was graded at an "A-" and indicates positive work; improvements can be made; the "8 Can't Wait" initiative is not enough; it has important details, but is missing citizen oversight; citizen oversight will help increase accountability; there are binary nuances to the "8 Can't Wait" initiative; expressed concern for the different levels of use of force being reported; stated different levels require different reports; the response to Mr. Watkins would have been more timely had the response level been indicated; outlined public comments related to experiences of racism; urged community members to be anti-racist; stated expectations must be provided over the course of changes made; Council must be focused on outcomes and transformative change; the City has taken first steps to develop a vision of desired policing; knowing the community is related to training; the option is more expensive; expressed support for APD Officers being trained by the Police Chief; noted Community Paramedics could have helped the May 23rd incident; stated many young people of color's first interaction with Police Officers are bad; Alamedans need to take a long look at repealing laws which criminalize survival; noted the many correspondences received relate to Police … | CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf |
CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf,16 | CityCouncil | 2020-06-17 | 16 | Councilmember Vella noted her second motion is approval of the "8 Can't Wait" initiative, with the caveat of including a review of the City's 5150 policy and a look into the over-use of 9-1-1 calls. Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft expressed support for the level of detail in the motions. Councilmember Vella noted Assemblymember Bonta has just carried a bill related to racially motivated 9-1-1 calls being re-categorized as a hate crime statute with a civil remedy for victims; expressed support for Council looking at the legislation. Vice Mayor Knox White expressed concern about too much policy review prior to the discussion of desired core work to be completed; stated policy changes have not yet taken effect and will return to Council for discussion and approval; noted the topic of reviewing 5150 calls can be reviewed and backfill options can be discussed; expressed support for staff being able to return to Council at a comfortable pace; stated that he has reservations about the 5150 portion of the motion; expressed support for providing direction and approving the "8 Can't Wait" initiative verbatim; stated the initiative is important and will have meaning but a lot of other work is equally important; that he would like staff to bring back policies as soon as possible; expressed his opposition to shooting at cars; stated rules must be clearly provided except in narrowly defined instances; discussed San Francisco's "Do Not Pursue" and California Highway Patrol pursue policies; stated many different views were discussed during public comment; expressed support for knowing the effects and responses of changes; stated Council does not want to put Officers in harm's way; Officers are trained to look for things which can become harmful or deadly; a solution is not to put Officers in positions where they are responding to places where a life and death instinct is present; the instinct causes tension and difficulty in making wise split-second decisions; there is an over-estimation of how quickly Police can be moved out of situations … | CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf |
CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf,17 | CityCouncil | 2020-06-17 | 17 | 400.3 related to the use of teargas and the involvement of the APD in other jurisdictions; stated APD should keep the safety and respect people's right to speak in a non-violent way; expressed support for strengthening Policy 402 regarding racial profiling; stated 402 requires Officers to take training once every five years and the bar should be set higher; expressed support for APD and members in the Alameda Fire Department; stated public service delivery can be improved; Council must work with City staff and the community; expressed support for putting items into action. Councilmember Daysog requested a friendly amendment to the motions to add strengthening Sections 400 and 402 of the APD policies. Councilmember Vella stated the sections fall under item 3) policing policy review. Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether the June 29th meeting will discuss how to compose the different advisory committees, to which Councilmember Vella responded in the affirmative. Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft expressed support for the committees having diversity. Vice Mayor Knox White expressed concern about the use of force requirement; questioned whether the process is nuanced enough to allow for life-threatening situations to be handled appropriately. Councilmember Vella stated Council will review the policies for approval, but will provide direction to staff to move forward with the "8 Can't Wait" initiative and then vote on policies as-drafted. Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft noted there is room for further refinement if needed. On the call for the question on the motion related to former President Obama's Mayor's Pledge, the motion carried by the following roll call vote: Councilmembers Daysog: Aye; Knox White: Aye; Oddie: Aye; Vella: Aye; and Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft: Aye. Ayes: 5. On the call for the question on the motion related to the "8 Can't Wait" initiative, the motion carried by the following roll call vote: Councilmembers Daysog: Aye; Knox White: Aye; Oddie: Aye; Vella: Aye; and Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft: Aye. Ayes: 5. Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated this… | CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf |
CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf,18 | CityCouncil | 2020-06-17 | 18 | ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft adjourned the meeting at 10:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Lara Weisiger City Clerk The agenda for this meeting was posted in accordance with the Sunshine Ordinance. Special Meeting Alameda City Council 18 June 17, 2020 | CityCouncil/2020-06-17.pdf |
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