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Orozco, Norma From: breanna mercado <breannamercado@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2021 12:07 PM To: eComment Subject: 3/5/2021 Meeting To Whom It May Concern: I have lived in Santa Ana all my life & attended Santa Ana USD schools. I used to walk home & was never worried. As an adult I avoid areas in my own neighborhood I regularly went to prior. This homeless problem was becoming a problem, but is now a complete disaster to our city. My children attend El Sol. As I hope you are aware, in early 2020 a homeless man was running through the area rambling about a man with a gun. The school went on lockdown. While my kindergarten daughter just knew to stay inside, my 2nd grade son was at recess. He was on his way to the restroom & was locked out of class. He went running in the middle of campus having a panic attack thinking he was going to die. School personnel had to aid him in catching his breath. AT SCHOOL. This is unacceptable. No 7 year old, NO CHILD, should fear being at school. It is incredibly hard as a parent to console your child each morning trying to tell them school is safe, when in all actuality, I don't know that any longer. They also attended Storybook Preschool during the summer. On multiple occasions the director would need to call SAPID & lock the school because homeless would try to enter the premises or were digging through the trash cans. My children still attend school there and will be going back 3/15. Are we going to continue to step over the syringes & trash all along the sidewalks? Having to hold our breath because someone defecated on a building walking your child to school? It's time we stop relying on the County of Orange to fund solutions to the problem because they won't. Aiding Santa Ana in "their homeless problem" is not in their budget. Mayor Pulido waited for years for help and we have only gotten worse. Our city has increased taxes. Our city has rebudgeted. When are we as residents going to be able to have pride in our city again. Thank you.