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Salas, Diana <br />From: Emily Jackson <emilyjacksonmd@gmail.com> <br />Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2020 1:53 PM <br />To: eComment <br />Subject: Agenda item 75A-to adopt fiscal year 20-21 budget <br />Santa Ana City Council - <br />I am submitting this public comment with the expectation that it will become part of your permanent record for <br />the Santa Ana City Council meeting held on 6/16/20. <br />Santa Ana has one of the worst police forces in the state of California (ranked 92/100), recently receiving an 'F' <br />grade from the Campaign Zero scoring system, based on police violence, police accountability and approach to <br />policing. I am writing to request that the City Council divest from the police force and reinvest in community <br />programs. Low hanging fruit include utilizing trained, unarmed professionals instead of police to respond to <br />mental health crises, domestic violence incidents, and substance use issues. In this moment of crisis around <br />covid-19, City Council should also consider redirecting police funding to housing, education, health care and <br />paycheck protection for Santa Ana residents. <br />It is unconscionable to increase police funding at this time of economic crisis, when all other city funding is <br />being cut. Given the Santa Ana PD's poor performance and ongoing brutality towards its citizens, the City <br />Council should realize that pouring more money into the police is not going to increase public safety. Instead, <br />divest from the police and invest in proven strategies to increase public safety, like those I have outlined above. <br />Emily Jackson MD MPH <br />Family Physician, Reproductive Health Specialist <br />Fullerton, CA <br />