mahrer
commented
4 years ago Hi @bewithx, thanks for your request to add Anaheim to the site! We have an open request at #895. If you’d like to add to or edit the messaging, please visit that issue. Thank you!
Original Document = https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Nd1C4Koz5ThadthT4ZWuNaxAFmsfHZY-EGKe-eA9ziA/edit
To (copy and paste): hsidhu@anaheim.net publiccomment@anaheim.net
cc (copy and paste): sfaessel@anaheim.net dbarnes@anaheim.net jbrandman@anaheim.net jmoreno@anaheim.net lkring@anaheim.net toneil@anaheim.net
Subject (copy and paste): Defund the Anaheim Police Department!
Body (copy and paste): Dear Mayor Sidhu and Council Members,
My name is [NAME], and I am writing on behalf of myself and the people of Anaheim. I live in [CITY, STATE]. The deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd have called attention to longstanding racial tensions in this country and police brutality against Black American people, Latinx and other POC. As you may know, Mayor Garcetti recently stated he would cut funding to LAPD by at least $150 million. We call on the City of Anaheim to re-allocate a portion of its budget away from police programs and take steps to eliminate police violence.
Although the recent killings occurred far from Anaheim, Anaheim has its own history of police violence. Many of us remember the summer of 2012, when two unarmed men, Manuel Diaz and Joel Acevedo were killed by Officers Nick Bennallack and Kelly Phillips of the Anaheim Police Department in two separate incidents. In 2017, the ACLU ranked Anaheim PD the 9th deadliest force in the country for its record of officer-involved shootings. And in 2018, Anaheim police officers Sean Staymates and Kevin Pedersen shot at Eliuth Penaloza Nava more than 70 times before killing him, an incident that you remarked at the time was “disturbing.”
The officers involved in these shootings must face consequences for their actions. In the case of Manuel Diaz, it took a total of four years and an appeal to the Supreme Court to rule that Officer Bennallack used excessive force and award the amount of damages to the Diaz family. Even then, Officers Bennallack and Phillips faced no consequences for their actions and remain active in the Anaheim PD. What does it say when the people we trust to protect our streets, are responsible for taking innocent lives? To its credit, the City fired Officer Pedersen and placed Officer Staymates on administrative leave in light of the 2018 incident. But this is not enough. I am not satisfied with retroactive justice. The City of Anaheim has to act to prevent violence from happening in the first place.
First, I DEMAND that the City reduce police funding. In the FY 2020/2021 Proposed Budget, approximately 42% of our budget will be dedicated to law enforcement. Allocating a larger portion of these funds to efforts in education, homelessness, affordable housing, and mental health would greatly improve quality of life and reduce inequality in our neighborhoods. By focusing on these preventative measures, we will uplift our communities, and diminish the need for police intervention.
Second, I DEMAND that we must restructure law enforcement governance. In particular, diminishing the role of police unions, which repeatedly stand by officer misconduct and actively hinder efforts to oversee them. Furthermore, it should be required that if an officer commits a single act of misconduct they are immediately released from duty pending review of the incident. If the incident is substantiated they should be fired (NOT placed on desk duty) and should not be able to be rehired by another department.
Finally, I DEMAND that City Council support the 8 Can’t Wait Initiative to minimize police violence, which calls for the following:
Ban Chokeholds and Strangleholds Require De-escalation Require Exhausting Other Means Before Shooting Ban Shooting at Moving Vehicles Implement Use of Force Continuum Require Comprehensive Reporting
Mayor Sidhu and Council Members, let us not be on the wrong side of history and instead make Anaheim a model for other cities to follow. I DEMAND that you address these concerns in this month’s city council meetings, and work to ensure the safety of all our people.
Best, [YOUR NAME] [YOUR ADDRESS] [YOUR PHONE NUMBER] [YOUR EMAIL]