Seaside, CA

[jillbourget]

To: cityclerk@ci.seaside.ca.us Cc: ioglesby@ci.seaside.ca.us dpacheco@ci.seaside.ca.us akispersky@ci.seaside.ca.us jcampbell@ci.seaside.ca.us jwizard@ci.seaside.ca.us Bcc: communitybeforecops@gmail.com

Hello Mayor Oglesby and Seaside Councilmembers,

I am writing to you as a resident of Seaside to express my concern with the proposed Annual Budget for Fiscal Year 2020-21. In light of the national movement sparked by George Floyd's murder, followed by generations of police brutality, the prison industrial complex, and systemic racism, I ask that you begin the process of defunding our Police Department, and immediately reinvest in public social services that will contribute to our community's long-term health and create real public safety.

Together with my community, I ask that you limit Police Department spending to no more than 30% of the total Seaside Budget. This would reallocate $4.5 Million for much-needed public services. We're asking you to do this in three ways:

1. Remove the School Resource Officer the City currently pays at least $173,000 a year to have on our school campuses. Police and guns do not make our students safer, nor are they proven to effectively reduce crime or school violence. Reinvest this money in youth programs that give our students opportunities to grow, connect, and lead us into the future.
2. Cut Overtime Pay for Police Officers, which costs the City $755,000 each year. Our Police Officers are some of the highest paid public employees, earning an average of $173,000 a year. When Seaside's Median Household income is only $57,000, why are we paying $755,000 a year in Police Overtime?
3. Cut Unfilled Positions from the Position Control List. Seaside's budget does not need to stockpile millions of dollars to pay officers that haven't been hired yet. Our communities are in urgent need during this economic, social, and health crisis. Move these funds to social services now!

As millions across the country rise up to demand institutional change in the way we police our Black and Brown communities, I ask you to remember that Seaside has the highest poverty rate, the most Black & Latinx people, and the most homeless students anywhere on the Peninsula. This community has needs that could be met with the right kind of public services. Police do not provide these services.

We have a unique opportunity to redesign the way our City handles the challenges of homelessness, drug addiction, domestic and sexual violence, and poverty, by providing social workers, health care, and resources to our community's most vulnerable. In this way, we empower instead of criminalize, and connect instead of divide. We want our budget to prioritize social services. The time is now.

Thank you for your time and service representing the people.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

[mahrer]

Thank you for submitting your city to defund12.org! Your request is now in the queue for review and publishing. We’ll reply here if we have any questions.

[jillbourget]

Hi I’m not sure if the author for the Seaside letter is ready for this version to go out. There may have been multiple versions.

Please check with the author here

https://instagram.com/communitybeforecops?igshid=6ykh68966lj0

Thanks Jill

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 11, 2020, at 11:46 AM, mahrer notifications@github.com wrote:

 Thank you for submitting your city to defund12.org! Your request is now in the queue for review and publishing. We’ll reply here if we have any questions.

— You are receiving this because you authored the thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe.

[mahrer]

@jillbourget would you mind checking on the status of this letter and getting back to us with a comment here? Thank you!