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Last year, the City Council approved a total of $25 million in raises for police salary and benefits for the next two and a <br />half years. The proposed $13.5 million increase in public safety spending is unacceptable, especially since the city has <br />less budget flexibility during this economic downturn. <br />While we have spent an astonishing amount of money on policing, we have not seen vast improvements to safety, <br />homelessness, mental health, or housing affordability in the city. I am joining the calls of those across the country to <br />defund the police. I demand a budget that adequately and effectively meets the needs of at -risk city residents during <br />this trying and uncertain time, when livelihoods are on the line. I call on you to halt annual SAPD raises and reallocate <br />funds towards social services, including education, public health, youth development, and improved public transit- not <br />increased policing. <br />I am in favor of enacting a civilian oversight commission with investigative powers, but I ultimately have no desire to see <br />our community become increasingly over -policed when basic social services, like coronavirus outreach and translation <br />services, are lacking to the immigrant communities in our city. I urge you to redistribute the millions of dollars that are <br />going into police raises every year to other necessary social services during this period of time, and this will be a top -of - <br />mind concern during the next election cycle. <br />Sincerely, <br />Christopher Rubio <br />518 E Pine St, Santa Ana <br />chrisrubio9l@gmail.com <br />424.216.2569 <br />