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Orozco, Norma From: Sent: To: Subject: To the Santa Ana City Council: Jessica Manu <jessicavmanu@gmail.com> Monday, June 15, 2020 10:09 PM eComment YES on Police Oversight Commission and More My name is Jessica Mann and I am a resident of Orange, California. I was brim and raised in Santa Ana, and I have both family and friends who are current residents; so the city holds a very special place in my heart. I am writing in regards to the betterment of the Santa Ana community. After the unfortunate death of George Floyd, it is clear that change must take place and it all starts within our local communities. Specifically, there needs to be changes made in defending the police and allocating those fiords into the community. For the fiscal year 2019-2020, $131.6M was allocated to the police department while only $33M was allocated to community development, which is only 1% of the general fiord. We prioritize fimding the police department above all else; yet, Santa Ana police department, SAPD, is rated as one of the top 10 most violent police departments in the United States; this data goes back as far as 2013. In 2017, a group of council members hied to propose the idea of creating a police oversight commission and it was turned down, not once but TWICE. The idea is finally considered, only because the community is finally standing up and exercising their right to protest and demand change. Creating an oversight commission is a start but it is not enough. I DEMAND that the community get immediate transparency of the SAPD; this includes, but not limited to, all body cam footage, police misconduct records, police reports, and investigative records. I DEMAND that the council grants the community the power of subpoena, investigatory authority, disciplinary authority, and the ability to hire and fire officers, including the Chief of Police. I DEMAND the demilitarization of the police and an end to all federal funding to purchase military equipment and weapons for SAPD. I DEMAND the reduction of racial profiling by incorporating an individual stop and search database compliant with the California Racial and Identity Act passed by California in 2016. I DEMAND defending the police by at least 25% and allocating those funds directly into community development. On June 9th, the Santa Ana Unified School District Board unanimously voted to adopt a resolution which creates an ethnic studies requirement in order to graduate high school. I believe this is a step in the right direction and necessary for the future of Santa Ana. I DEMAND that all fimds going into this resolution be allocated from the defending of SAPD. I am calling on all our elected officials to put a stop to the evident violence and racial profiling exhibited by SAPD and to prioritize the development of the Santa Ana community. Jessica Manu