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Orozco, Norma <br />From: Sarah Ngo <sarahngo25@yahoo.com> <br />Sent: Monday, June 01, 2020 7:35 PM <br />To: Iglesias, Cecilia; eComment <br />Subject: JUNE 2, 2020 - AGENDA ITEM 65B <br />Dear Mayor Pulido and City Councilmember Iglesias, <br />We are Sarah, Kevin, and Emily Ngo. We are writing as Santa Ana residents to oppose the proposed budget to <br />increase public safety spending by $13.5 million. As we are sure you know, the COVID-19 pandemic has <br />caused financial obstacles for the city of Santa Ana. According to Finance Director Downs, Santa Ana is <br />experiencing $12 million in losses this year alone due to hits to sales taxes, parking fines, special collected <br />fees and other sources of revenue. <br />In these challenging times what our city needs is funding for health care, housing, education, public transport, <br />mental health resources --NOT the police department. Our predominantly low-income city has been hit hard by <br />the pandemic. Lack of access to health care and packed housing has resulted in Santa Ana having the largest <br />rate of COVID-19 in Orange County. At this time, it is important that we fund community resources and stop <br />the overcriminalization of our city. <br />In addition, the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others at the hand of the police have <br />shown us time and time again that the police inflicts more violence (especially on poor black and brown <br />communities) than it "serves and protects." Divesting from SAPID and actually putting money into other <br />resources, such as the ones I listed above, will actually decrease crime and INCREASE public safety. <br />Therefore, we need to invest in OUR COMMUNITY. Not in policing our community. Thank you for your time. <br />Do the right thing, <br />Sarah, Kevin, and Emily Ngo <br />3830 Alder St. <br />Santa Ana, CA 92707 <br />-i q <br />