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Orozco, Norma From:Iliana Carolina Zepeda <zepedai@uci.edu> Sent:Thursday, June 18, 2020 3:49 PM To:eComment Subject:Item 75A - Oppose FY20-21 Budget As city officials representing the people of Santa Ana we hope you will do better for your community and listen to what we ask.. My name is Iliana Zepeda and I am a resident of Santa Ana. I am disappointed at what is happening during today's town hall meeting. The fact that knowing how important the budget would be in our current state at a national level, it was decided by you all to go to bed early. There are many concerns citizens who toon in to watch you all, many to voice our opinions. I hope you are all mindful that we are still watching and we are tired and will keep you all accountable as our representatives. You are government officials serving the people do not forget that. As many residents who waited hours to speak and listen to your response, I am disappointed to see that you all are not taking any comments on Thursday's meeting. Shame on you all for silencing the people that you are supposed to serve. I hope that you all can listen to the people of Santa Ana because we told you clearly what we need from you as our representatives. I hope that today you will let us share our opinions. I am writing in deep concern for the health of Santa Ana community. It has become more than clear that a radical shift in our concept of policing and community health must take place at the local level. It is unacceptable that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities are living in persistent fear of being killed by state authorities like police, immigration agents or even white vigilantes who are emboldened by state actors. Despite continued profiling, harassment, terror and killing of Black communities, local and federal decision-makers continue to invest in the police, which leaves Black people vulnerable and our communities no safer. Moreover, this deep lack of trust that the government is breeding by terrorizing its own people, rather than safeguarding our health, is an alarming risk for future generations to live peacefully and safely with each other. While police funding has increased every single year, we somehow have to be more conservative on funding for public health and community resources. Shame on you for prioritizing the oppression of the people. Santa Ana Police is the 8th most violent department in the U.S., and Anaheim is the 9th. This is not what Orange County, CA stands for. From 2003-2016, Anaheim Police Department killed 33 people during the process of arrest, and nearly 40% of them were unarmed. Since 2014, the rate of arrest- related deaths caused by Anaheim PD exceeds that of LAPD, NYPD, and San Fran PD and is 74% higher than average for police in California. How can it be that agents funded for “public protection” are responsible for 17% of all homicides in the city (2003-2016)? In the years 2009 and 2016, 36% of all homicides were in the hands of 1